Mint family's bee balm used to make herbal tea, potpourri
Monarda didyma, commonly called bee balm, bergamot and Oswego tea, is an attractive and nectar-rich native plant for a rain garden, herb garden or perennial bed.
Bee balm is in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Other members are popular herbs, including basil, lavender and rosemary, plus ornamentals such as ajuga, coleus and lamium.
Bee balm, like most other members of this family, has four-sided stems. A cluster of vivid scarlet, two-lipped, tubular flowers sits atop the main and side stems, looking like an unkempt mop head.
The flowers have no scent and bloom from July into September. The leaves are medium- to dark-green and oval-shaped with a serrated edge. They emit a minty aroma when bruised or crushed, which makes deer and rabbits avoid bee balm.
It grows 2-4 feet tall and spreads 2-3 feet by shallow, creeping rhizomes.
Native from the Northeast to Michigan and south to Georgia and Tennessee, bee balm has naturalized to the Mississippi River. Its native habitats are moist, open woods, meadows, thickets and stream banks.
The nectar attracts bees, wasps, moths, butterflies and the ruby-throated hummingbird. Bee balm also is the host plant for the caterpillars of various moths, including the gray marvel and hermit sphinx.
Growing requirements
Hardiness: Zones 4-9
Sun: full sun to part shade
Water: medium to moist
Soil: prefers moist, humus-rich; tolerates clay, black walnut
Maintenance: divide every 3-4 years to prevent overcrowding
Propagation: self-sows; seed; softwood cuttings; division
Pests and diseases: susceptible to powdery mildew; to prevent, provide good air circulation, remove infected foliage, water at ground level
Common cultivars
These are popular versions, but growers seeking a native-only garden should note that they are genetically different from the wild originals:
• ‘AChall’ Grand Marshall: fuchsia bloom; compact; excellent mildew resistance
* ‘Purple Rooster’: royal purple bloom; excellent mildew resistance
* ‘Coral Reef’: salmon-pink bloom; good mildew resistance
Uses
Fresh flowers can make a colorful garnish on fruit and green salads, cakes and preserves. They also can be used in floral arrangements. With their mint flavor, dried leaves can make an aromatic herbal tea. Both dried flowers and leaves are useful for sachets and potpourri.
Medicinally, Monarda didyma has had many uses. It’s a natural source of the antiseptic thymol. Native Americans recognized its antiseptic properties and made poultices for skin infections and minor wounds. Tea made from the plant treated mouth and throat infections, headaches, fevers and stomach ailments and was used as a stimulant. Thymol is now used as an active ingredient in commercial health-care products.
Fun fact
Why three common names? “Bee balm” stems from the use of the resin in the leaves to soothe bee stings. “Bergamot” comes from the fragrance, which is similar to that of a bergamot orange. And “Oswego tea” started after the Oswego Native Americans of upstate New York taught early settlers to make an herbal tea. It became popular when the colonists needed a substitute for English tea after the Boston Tea Party.
Have a gardening question? Ohio State University Extension Master Gardeners of Franklin County answer questions from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Fridays. Call 614-866-6900 or email fcmg@osu.edu.
NATIVE PLANTS
Once a month, OSU Extension Master Gardeners of Franklin County profile a plant that occurs naturally in central Ohio.
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