Wild Bergamot

(Monarda fistulosa)

Other Names:

Purple Bee Balm, Bee Balm, Wild Oregano

Range:


Family:
Lamiaceae – Mint family

Growth Type:
Herbaceous Perennial

Height:
2 - 3 ft High

Leaves:
Paired, serrated, lanceolate, opposite. Sometimes triangular or oval.

Stem/Trunk:
Like all members of the mint family, Wild Bergamot has square stems.

Root:
Shallow rhizomes

Flower Season:
Mid to late summer into early fall.

Flower Appearance:
Showy lavender purple flowers. Narrow lipped lavender tubes in crowded heads. The tips of the bracts are slightly purple tinged. The flower reminds one of a July 4th firework.

Seed/Fruit:
Not observed

Miscellaneous characteristics:
N/A

Habitat:
This meadow dwelling plant loves dry areas. Look for it along forest edges, roadsides, abandoned homesteads, and waste areas.

Parts Used:
Leaves, Flower Heads

Culinary Uses:
Leaves can be steeped in boiling water for 10 minutes, and then sweetened to taste.

Energetics
Taste: Pungent
Thermal: Warming
Humidity: Drying

Traditional Medicinal Uses:
A widely used plant with a rich history, wild bergamot leaf tea has been used to treat Acne, Burns, Bronchitis, Cardiovascular Disease, Catarrh, Cold, Colic, Cough, Erruptions, Eye Ailments, Fevers, Flatulence, Influenza, Insomnia, Mycosis, Pustules, Sore Throat, Stomachaches, Toothache, Upper Respiratory Infection, Yeast infections.

Ethnobotany, Indigenous Usage:

Appalachian, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Cheyenne, CHippewa, Choctaw, Dakotah, FLathead, FOx, Koasati, and Winnebago tribes.

Usage Indictions:

Acne, Burns, Bronchitis, Cardiovascular Disease, Catarrh, Cold, Colic, Cough, Erruptions, Eye Ailments, Fevers, Flatulence, Influenza, Insomnia, Mycosis, Pustules, Sore Throat, Stomachaches, Toothache, Upper Respiratory Infection, Yeast infections

Medicinal Actions:
Abortifacient, Analgesic, Anthelmintic, Antifungal, Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, Astringent, Cardiac Tonic, Carminative, Cathartic, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Febrifuge, Hemostatic, Febrifuge, Parasiticide, Soporific, Tonic: Cardiac