Monarda fistulosa, the wild bergamot or bee balm,[1] is a wildflower in the mint family (Lamiaceae) widespread and abundant as a native plant in much of North America. (USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service) The leaves of both bee balm and its cousin wild bergamot, have square stems like all mint family plants, and have leaves that smell like oregano and mint combined when crushed. This aromatic plant is a perennial that grows from creeping rhizomes. Wild bergamot is very attractive to bees, butterflies and some birds. Visit them to see how people are supporting pollinators throughout the Outaouais-Ontario East region. Bee collecting nectar from Wild Bergamot wildflower monarda fistulosa in Eastpoint Park in Toronto Ontario Canada. [19], As a honey plant, it is popular with a variety of pollinators, including bees, hummingbirds, and lepidoptera. Growing to be about 20-29 cm in height, these herbaceous plants produce flowers annually or perennially depending on species. Bergamot is also known, somewhat confusingly, as Bee Balm, Scarlet Bee-balm, Horsemint, Oswego Tea, and by its genus name, Monarda. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (. In Ontario, tallgrass is teeming with wildlife, including: over 200 species of plants, such as dense blazing-star and wild bergamot; many birds, such as bobolinks, savanna sparrows and northern bobwhite quail; Several varieties have been variously recognized within Monarda fistulosa, of which some have also been treated as subspecies or as distinct species. This monarda species is highly functional in the garden because it attracts a wide range of large butterflies, bees and the zippy ruby-throated hummingbird considers it a favorite feeding station. The herb is considered an active diaphoretic (sweat inducer). Range map for Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa). PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State. Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa Mint family (Lamiaceae) Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is 2½–4' tall, branching frequently in the upper half. Range map for Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa). They are acceptable in a garden setting only. [citation needed] A tea made from the plant was also used to treat mouth and throat infections caused by dental caries and gingivitis. There are many familiar favorites like Brown Eyed Susan, Wild Bergamot and Blue Flax in this mix which contains 15 species and 600+ seeds. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. The wild bergamot is very similar to bee balm but instead of a deep red coloration it boasts of lavender, pinkish blooms. Leaves Lance-shaped and toothed. Monarda fistulosa ranges from Quebec to the Northwest Territories and British Columbia, south to Georgia, Texas, Arizona, Idaho, and northeastern Washington. Height Specializing in seed grown native perennial wildflowers, ornamental grasses, shrubs, vines and … It is interesting that the seeds obtaine… A perennial favorite native to North America, bee balm (also called wild bergamot) is beloved in flower beds for its beautiful blooms of red, pink, purple or white—not to mention the fragrant foliage.Here’s how to plant and grow bee balm in your garden! for any purpose.THANK YOU The plants are typically up to 3 ft (0.9 m) tall, with a few erect branches. Habitat and Description . This plant was extensively used by many Native Americans including, (but not limited to) the Menominee, the Ojibwa, and the Winnebago. Wild Bergamot in Ontario (Edibility and Identification) plant can be cooked as potherb. [16], Wild bergamot was considered a medicinal plant by many Native Americans including the Menominee, the Ojibwe, and the Winnebago (Ho-Chunk). Wild Bergamot seeds, commonly known as Bee Balm, produce curious flowers that vary in shades from pink to lavender. and is displayed here in accordance with their Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) Wild Columbine (Aquiledia canadensis) Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) Ontario Native Flowers. Date: 11 August 2008: Source: Own work: Author: D. Gordon E. Robertson: Licensing. In the past and still today, it is used for food and medicinal purposes. Cut flowers for drying as soon as they’re fully open. While a fragrant herb in its own right, Wild Bergamot is not the source of the commonly used Bergamot Essential oil. smells strongly of mint. Policies). The aesthetic of the new front garden aims to combine classic old-world garden plants like columbine, phlox, and lavender with Ontario native plants that are typical of the County landscape (wild bergamot, foxglove beardtongue and tufted hair grass) with some contemporary introductions and varieties. Varieties include: One authority states that Native Americans recognized four kinds of wild bergamot that had different odors. [2] This plant, with showy summer-blooming pink to lavender flowers, is often used as a honey plant, medicinal plant, and garden ornamental. The flower on a wild bergamot or Monarda fistulosa, also known as bee balm, native to North America and used for honey or medicinal purposes. 1. It is an important nectar source for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The leaves can be used sparingly in salads and fruit drinks, while the dried leaves or fresh leaves can be made into a tea. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 30 inches apart. It is undemanding but does not like being crowded by other plants. Please check back when we re-open on March 1, 2021 for pre-orders with our best availability of the season. Some wasps will even bore right into the nectar tube! The Winnebago used a tea made from bee balm as a general stimulant. While the flowers usually appear individually, some cultivars are created to have two of them on one stem. Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) is a member of the mint family and its leaves and petals can be used to make a delicious earl grey tea. 150 photographs available, of which 2 are featured on this page. ask permission Wild Beebalm will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. Approximately 5-10 cm (2-4 inches) in length. [citation needed] Bee balm was also used as a carminative herb by Native Americans to treat excessive flatulence. The following sites, developed for various reasons, all provide valuable wild pollinator habitat. The color range can be anywhere between warm reds and cool blues. [citation needed] Bee balm is the natural source of the antiseptic thymol, the primary active ingredient in modern commercial mouthwash formulas. Each cluster is about 1.5 in (4 cm) long, containing about 20–50 flowers. Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot) plants, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The word bergamot can be used to refer to Monarda didyma, an aromatic herb with other names including scarlet monarda, Gold Melissa, Indian nettle, Oswego tea, scarlet beebalm or crimson beebalm that belong to the family Lamiaceae.. Also, the word is often used to refer to bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia) a member of family Rutaceae or Monarda fistulosa, wild bergamot (a medicinal plant). Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) BLOOMS. For drying, harvest leaves before the flowers open. Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) is a member of the mint family and its leaves and petals can be used to make a delicious earl grey tea. It grows in dry thickets, clearings and woodland edges from Ontario and British Columbia to … [18] Leaves were eaten boiled with meat and a concoction of the plant was made into hair pomade. Wild columbine New England aster Lanceleaf coreopsis. Used in North American for its medicinal properties for hundreds of years. I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following licenses: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Ontario. Bergamot Seeds - Classic Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa) Perennial. Several varieties have been variously recognized within Monarda fistulosa, of which some have also been treated as subspecies or as distinct species. The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs. Beautiful lavender flowers which attract bees and butterflies to your garden. Monarda fistulosa is an herbaceous perennial that grows from slender creeping rhizomes, thus commonly occurring in large clumps. The essential oil of Monarda fistulosa was analyzed using mass spectrometry and arithmetical retention indices, and was found to contain p-cymene (32.5%), carvacrol (24.0%), thymol (12.6%), an aliphatic aldehyde (6.3%), the methyl ether of carvacrol (5.5%), α-pinene (3.5%), β-pinene (2.9%), sabinene hydrate (1.9%), α-terpinene (1.7%), citronellyl acetate (1.6%), and β-caryophyllene (1.1%). Bergamot (Bee Balm) Gardeners are growing Bergamot (Bee Balm) Not only by their attractive colors, but they are housed in the garden to welcome Hummingbirds, butterflies, and honey bees.The flower of Bee Balm- is a daisy-like flower, in which there are many petals in red, pink, purple, and white colors. Common from July to August. Habitat Information: Found in upland thickets, woods, and prairies from Quebec to Manitoba and British Columbia. How to Grow Bergamot. The leaves are slender, serrated, and arrange parallel to each other, usually with very few hairs. author/artist/photographer. The plants are typically up to 3 ft (0.9 m) tall, with a few erect branches. Monarda fistulosa is an herbaceous perennial that grows from slender creeping rhizomes, thus commonly occurring in large clumps. MumaPlease respect this copyright and 31 Wild geranium. Lemon bergamot, or lemon bee balm (M. citriodora), and wild bergamot (M. fistulosa) are also used as flavourings and in teas. Flowers 4 cm (1 ½ inches) long. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds all visit this plant for its nectar. The opposite leaves are broadly lanceolate to ovate, and vary in color from light green to dark green, sometimes with yellow or red tints. Wild bergamot often grows in rich soils in dry fields, thickets, and clearings, usually on limy soil. Our nine member munici-palities include the City of Windsor, ... 29 Wild bergamot. Butterfly weed. All varieties are aromatic and highly attractive to pollinators, including hummingbirds.Pick the leaves as desired for fresh use in the kitchen. The material on this It is an important nectar source for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. HEIGHT Bee Balm is a perennial herb native to Eastern North America. before using or saving any of the content of this page English: Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. These flowers appear in July and August above stout, strong stems bearing aromatic leaves. They should not be used in or adjacent to natural areas. Description: This mix contains 1800+ seeds. These species are nectar sources native to Ontario but may not naturally occur in Halton Region. It was used most commonly to treat colds, and was frequently made into a tea. When American colonists boycotted British tea, they turned to Oswego tea, the beverage brewed by the Oswego Nation from bee balm ( … Common Names: Wild bergamot, Wild horsemint. Monarda fistulosa **Out of Stock for 2020. Native plants quickly became a genuine passion for Verbinnen’s. The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs. Growing Instructions Wet and cold stratification required. [citation needed]. The bergamot orange is a citrus fruit cultivated chiefly in Italy and is well known for its use in Earl Grey tea. Price: $16.00 Quantity: Large Easy Grow - Sun. Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West, Gregory L. Tilford, Wild Flowers: An Aid to Knowledge of our Wild Flowers and their Insect Visitors, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monarda_fistulosa&oldid=978716163, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2011, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 16 September 2020, at 15:01. Wild Bergamont Wild bergamot or bee balm is a fragrant native plant to Ontario that has clusters of soft pink or purple flowers. * Gift Cards are available here * Plant Orders are closed for the 2020 Season. FOR VISITING! We are a nursery devoted to the restoration of Ontario's native plants and their habitats. Varieties include: [3] The species is quite variable, and several subspecies or varieties have been recognized within it. Its leaves are about 2-3 in (5–8 cm) long, lance-shaped, and toothed. PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State. Wild bergamot is a drought tolerant prairie perennial that spreads by seeds and rhizomes. Some of the varieties are geographically widespread, and others are quite restricted in their ranges. Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) Wild Mint (Mentha arvensis) Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon) Yellow Giant Hyssop (Agastache nepetoides) THUMBNAILS : Blue Curls (Trichostema dichotomum) Catnip (Nepeta cataria) ... Wild Ontario: Earth Caretaker: Wildwood Trackers: Ontario … It flowers in the summer. The Blackfoot recognized the plant's strong antiseptic action, and used poultices of the plant for skin infections and minor wounds. Each seed packet contains approximately 200 untreated open pollinated Bergamot … Walter Some of the varieties are geographically widespread, and others are quite restricted in their ranges. “We saw that our plants weren’t just ornamental, they were serving an ecological function,” says Alex. The flowers have a tubular shape and are symmetrical, with a wider lower lip. The Verbinnen’s team harvests a wild variety of seeds from wild origin around Ontario Restoring natural environments. The light green stems are four-angled and hairless. Price: $42.00 Quantity: Easy Grow - Shade. To include your community, school, or other public pollinator garden on our map, please send us its title, location, and a brief description – info@wildpollinators-pollinisateurssauvages.ca This website is created, Please create an account HERE before placing an order. Its leaves are about 2-3 in (5–8 cm) long, lance-shaped, and toothed. Light: part shade to full sun Moisture: medium Soil: sandy loam, loam, clay loam, organic Mature Height: 4 feet Often called bergamot, these bee-pleasing additions to your garden emit a lovely scent similar to the (unrelated) bergamot fruit, used to flavor Earl Grey tea. (Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website It has long been used by Aboriginal peoples of North America as a medicine and antiseptic to treat colds (brewed as tea) and infections and wounds (ground into a poultice). leaves can be dried and sprinked on meat to repel insects. The plants generally flower from June to September.[4]. The plant is noted for its fragrance, and is a source of oil of thyme. It is a larval host to the hermit sphinx, orange mint moth, and raspberry pyrausta.[20]. (Wood,1997), It is listed as historical in Rhode Island. Today, many families still use wild bergamot during the cold and flu season. It is undemanding but does not like being crowded by other plants. Very attractive to bees and hummingbirds. Its compact flower clusters are solitary at the ends of branches. The species of Monarda that may go under the common name "bee balm," including M. fistulosa, have a long history of use as a medicinal plant by Native Americans, including the Blackfoot. 30 Wild columbine. page is copyright © by the original We will re-open for Pre-Orders on March 1, 2021. Description Herbaceous perennial plant with fragrant leaves and purple to lavender, two-lipped tubular flowers. Bergamot, Bee Balm Plants Monarda fistulosa Monarda fistulosa was the Herb Society of America's 2013 Notable Native Herb! Dickinson T, Metsger D, Bull J, Dickinson R. (2004) The ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario, Toronto:ROM Museum, p. 293. maintained & copyright © by The tea may be sweetened with honey, as it tends to be quite strong.[17]. 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