This southwestern annual is locally adventive in southeastern states, especially on the Coastal Plain. There are only two herbarium records from Ky.,, dating from 1900-1950. However, the species has been recently used in some "pollinator plantings", for example around solar panels of Kentucky Utilities in MERC. Subgenus Cheilyctis tends to occur in warmer and drier environments than Monarda sensu stricto. It differs as follows (W): flowers in 2-6 glomerules, terminal and at 2-5 successive nodes down the stem (versus in single glomerules or rarely with second at next node down); stamens included (versus exserted); leaf blades linear to lanceolate or narrowly elliptic (versus ovate to lanceolate),,usually broadest near the middle and tapered to a cuneate base (versus near the rounded, truncate or subcordate base), usually with L/W = 3-8 (versus 1.5-3).