Native Plant Highlight: Wild Bergamot

Native Plant Highlight: Wild Bergamot / Monarda fistulosa

Article by: Mary Alice Applegate maapple@mac.com

This article is courtesy of the Coast Plain Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society. The GNPS is dedicated to promoting the stewardship and conservation of Georgia’s native plants and their habitats. The Coastal Plain Chapter serves the people in the Coastal Plain ecoregion of Georgia. This includes all areas south of the Fall Line in middle Georgia, from the Alabama and Florida borders to the Atlantic ocean. To learn more, please visit their website.

Monarda fistulosa, also commonly known as wild bergamot or beebalm, is one of my favorite native plants for many reasons. I was introduced to it in my mother’s back yard, noticing how the bees buzzed around the blooms in the summer. I’ve learned since then that it has been revered over time by Native Americans and colonists for its medicinal properties and use in cooking. A couple of years ago, I added it to my front yard “minimeadow in progress” to benefit pollinators.

General Description

Monarda fistulosa, a member of the Lamiaceae (mint) family, is a deciduous perennial that grows grows 2-4’ tall and has a spread of 3-6’, growing in clumps. Flowers can be white, pale pink to lavender/ purple, with 2-lipped tubular petals, growing in a circular cluster. Leaves are opposite, lanceolate, toothed, aromatic, gray-green, up to 4” long. Each flower head rests upon a whorl of pinkish, leafy bracts. Stems are square. The bloom period is May - September.

Monarda fistulosa in poor dry soils of a meadow

Photo: Elmer Verhasselt, Bugwood.org

M. fistulosa is one of three Monarda plants thatuse the common name beebalm. Others are M.punctata (spotted beebalm) with its lavenderblooms and M. didyma (scarlet beebalm) withdeep red blooms. M. fistulosa is shorter in heightand is not as aggressive as its cousins. The namebergamot is due to an aroma that reminds oneof the bergamot orange, Citrus bergamia, whichis used with black tea to make Earl Grey tea. Itis important to use the scientific name Monardafistulosa when searching to buy plants or seeds,since the common name wild bergamot is alsosometimes used to refer to Monarda didyma.

Native Habitat

Found in Zones 4 - 8, M. fistulosa grows in dry openwoods, fields, wet meadows and ditches, and atthe edges of woods and marshes on well-drainedbut moist sand, loam, and clay. It tolerates acid tolime pH, rich or poor soil. It can grow in sun (over 6hours) or part shade (2-6 hours of direct sun) andcan take the heat.

Uses / Advantages in the Home Landscape

Monarda fistulosa is a showy aromatic perennialto add to your herb garden, naturalized area orperennial border. The blooms are good for cutflower arrangements, and it is resistant to deerand rabbits. Another plus is its tolerance of black walnut.

Wild bergamot flowers in June in my South Georgia yard.

Photo: Mary Alice Applegate

Medicinal and Edible Uses

Long ago, there were multiple medicinal uses of wild bergamot. The oil from the leaves was used to treat respiratory ailments. Tea made from the leaves was used to treat colic, flatulence, colds, fevers, stomach aches, nosebleeds, insomnia and heart trouble. Poulticed leaves treated headaches. Teas from the flowers of the plant were used to sooth sore throat, reduce low fevers and cure colds.

The oil extracted from leaves was used to dry up pimples. Leaves infused as a tea were used to relieve nausea, menstrual pain and insomnia. Steam inhalation was used to treat stuffy sinuses and sore throats. The Tewa Indians used wild bergamot leaves to flavor meats. The flowers are edible and the fragrant leaves can be used for perfume.

Wildlife Benefit

M. fistulosa attracts a number of specialist bees, bumble bees, predatory wasps, hummingbirds, and hawk moths. It is one of the best forage plants for bumble bees. Wild bergamot has been identified as a valuable monarch nectar plant.

Basic Care

Monarda fistulosa is best planted where there is sufficient air circulation and full sun to dry moisture on the leaves, since foliage can be susceptible to powdery mildew. It is moderately drought tolerant,though it benefits from extra watering during drysummers.

Monarda fistulosa can be propagatedby root division or seeds. The plant colonizesby rhizomes, and it is good to lift and divide theplant every three years to improve circulation andimprove vigor. March is a good time to divide,before stems grow up. Propagation by stemcuttings is also an option from May to August.

Monarda didyma, with its deep red blooms, a relative to Monarda fistulosa.

Photo: Mary Alice Applegate

Seed Propagation

M. fistulosa is very easy to start from seed. Collect seeds when they ripen, two months after the plant blooms. Some sources say seeds do not need to be cold-stratified or over-wintered, but germination success may be enhanced with cold stratification. Seeds are available online from several sources, if you don’t have a friend who can share from their seed collecting. It is best to plant species from your local area.

References

Herbal Academy. Benefits of Bee Balm: Monarda Fistulosa and M. Didyma. https://theherbalacademy. com/benefits-of-bee-balm-monarda-fistulosa-andm-didyma/

Holm, H., 2014. Pollinators of Native Plants. Pollination Press; Minnetonka, MN.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: https://www. wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=mofi

North Carolina Extension Gardener Tool Box: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/monardafistulosa/

USDA NRCS Plant Fact Sheet: https://plants.usda. gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_mofi.pdf