Wild Bergamot

According to Stern’s Dictionary of Plant Names, Monarda fistulosa was named for Nicholas Monardes (1493- 1589). He was a physician and botanist from Seville. Fistulosa means hollow or pipe-like and describes both the hollow tube of the corolla and the hollow stem.

As is often the case, there are many common names- Wild bergamot, Bee balm, and Oswego tea. Bergamot refers to the fragrant leaves. Bees love this plant, hence the name Bee balm. The leaves have been used for both medicinal and culinary purposes over the centuries, especially tea. They have even been used for perfume.

Each large bloom actually consists of many small flowers. Individual flowers open into an upper and lower lip. The stamens protrude from the hairy upper lip. The lower lip has three lobes that forms a handy support for insects.

Flowers open progressively from the center to the edges of the flower head, gradually leaving a 'bald spot' in the center.

Monarda fistulosa grows from 2 to 5 feet. It arises from a single stem that often branches many times. The stem is green to purple (in sun) and may be hairless to slightly pubescent. Varying from light to dark green, the lanceolate leaves have serrated margins and are lightly pubescent to hairless.

The plant is easy to identify by its scent, even before blooming. With a tiny squeeze, the leaves release an aroma reminiscent of oregano. Many seeds are contained within the seed head. Ripe seed heads are dark with white dots.

Bee balm attracts many species of bees to its beautiful flowers including several types of Bumble bees as well as smaller bees, such as Leaf-cutter bees, Miner bees, Cuckoo bees and Halictid bees. Butterflies and Skippers swarm Bee balm flowers for nectar. Fast flying Sphinx moths (Hemaris diffinis and Hemaris thysbe) also visit the flowers for nectar. Ruby throated hummingbirds are reported to nectar on Bee Balm flowers, but I haven't had the good fortune to see them. The video below shows an American Bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus) working the Bee balm flowers.

Take a look at the vast insect activity on this group of Bee Balm. You'll see Pipevine swallowtail butterflies, Great spangled fritillary butterflies, Snowberry clearwing moths and Bumble bees (Bombus bimaculatus) all jockeying for the best flowers!

Able to thrive in both sun and partial shade, Monarda fistulosa can be found in a variety of habitats. On Ozarkedge, I find it in growing at woodland edges, grassland and glades.

Monarda fistulosa has a wide range throughout most of the eastern half of the United States and even extending westward. Natureserve shows it as Unranked in most states. Those states that show a ranking all are either Secure or Apparently Secure except for Utah where it has Imperiled status.

Monarda fistulosa has a long history as a culinary herb. Grab a leaf or flower, give it a small squeeze and you'll notice an aroma quite similar to oregano. Both the leaves and flowers have been used as a replacement for oregano in recipes. The flowers can be dried and used for tea.

It also has a long history of medicinal use by many Indigenous Americans. It was used to reduce fevers and coughs as well as treat insect bites and much more.