A method for cultivating Monarda for production of thymoquinone includes plug planting Monarda fistulosa and/or Monarda didyma plants between about 24,000 and about 44,000 plants per acre. The cultivation method produces plants bearing oil without weed contamination and reduces herbicide use due to production of natural herbicides by the monarda plants. The method results in increased production of essential oils including thymoquinone and thymohydroquinone and may include propogating plants from clones to obtain thymohydroquinone at levels up to about 40% or more of the recovered oils.
