Plant · P-134

Wild Bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

Wild bergamot is a long-blooming native mint that thrives on the alkaline, heat-tolerant end of the Monarda family - two independent sources confirm it actually prefers alkaline soil, unlike most of its relatives, which makes it a fit for heavy calcareous clay that would rule other bee balms out. It flowers from May through September, an unusually long nectar season that draws native bees, bumblebees, hummingbirds and two specialist bee species that use no other plant. The leaves make an aromatic tea and potherb, and their thymol content gives them both a mild medicinal use and a genuine insect-repellent property. It spreads by rhizome, so an established patch behaves as living ground cover that benefits from being divided every few years for air circulation and mildew control.