![]() They are prone to developing powdery mildew in high humidity, especially if planted in a place without good air circulation. Monarda are used in beds and borders to attract hummingbirds, pollinating insects, and insects that control garden pests. Plants growing in partial shade spread horizontally and produce fewer flowers. ![]() Monarda plants thrive in sun and moist but well-drained soil. The plants are widespread across North America and can be found in moist meadows, hillsides, and forest clearings up to 5,000 feet (1,500 m) in elevation. Bee balm was traditionally used by Native Americans as a seasoning for wild game, particularly birds. Īlthough somewhat bitter due to the thymol content in the leaves and buds, the plant tastes like a mix of spearmint and peppermint with oregano. Bee balm was also used as a carminative herb by Native Americans to prevent excessive flatulence. The Winnebago used a bee balm tisane as a general stimulant. Bee balm is a natural source of the antiseptic compound thymol, the primary active ingredient in some modern commercial mouthwash formulas. A tisane made from the plant was also used to treat mouth and throat infections caused by dental caries and gingivitis. Native Americans and later settlers also used it to alleviate stomach and bronchial ailments. The Blackfoot recognized the strong antiseptic action of the plants, and used them in poultices for skin infections and minor wounds. didyma, have a long history of use as medicinal plants by many Native Americans, such as the Blackfoot, Menominee, Ojibwa and Winnebago. Several species, including Monarda fistulosa and M. didyma contained the highest concentration of oil. The crushed leaves of all species exude a spicy, fragrant essential oil. Seed collected from hybrids does not yield plants identical to the parent. Hybrids occur in the wild, and they are common in cultivation. didyma has bright carmine red flowers, M. Flower color varies, with wild species bearing red, pink, and light purple flowers. They are typically crowded head-like clusters of flowers with leafy bracts. Inflorescences occur at the top of the stem or emerge from the axils. They are monoecious, with male and female structures in each flower. The wild flowers are single, but some cultivated forms have double flowers. The flowers are tubular and bilaterally symmetric, with a narrow upper lip and a wider lower lip. The slender, serrated, lanceolate leaves are oppositely arranged on the square stem, hairless or sparsely hairy, and about 7–14 cm (2.8–5.5 in) long. They grow erect to heights of 20–90 cm (8–35 in). Monarda species include annual and perennial herbaceous plants. The genus was named for the Spanish botanist Nicolás Monardes, who wrote a book in 1574 describing plants of the New World. Common names include bergamot, bee balm, horsemint, and oswego tea, the first being inspired by the fragrance of the leaves, which is reminiscent of bergamot orange ( Citrus bergamia). Soil Type: Rich/Moist well-drained, pH 6.1-7.Monarda is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. ![]() The Red Monarda flowers make wonderful fresh or dry cut flowers, and they are also edible and used in teas or in potpourri. Growing Oswego Tea herb from Monarda Didyma seeds is a great way to establish this popular upright perennial that expands into colonies from vigorous rhizomes requiring low maintenance, tolerating clay and sand soil, and resisting rabbit and dear. The scented Bergamot flowers are like a magnet to various pollinators including bumblebees, swallowtail butterflies, and hummingbirds.īee Balm Scarlet Red Shades is one of the best perennial flowers to grow in bird and butterfly gardens, border fronts, cottage and cutting gardens, herb and wild gardens, naturalized landscapes and along ponds or streams. Easily grown from Bee Balm Scarlet Red Shades seeds, this sturdy perennial wildflower is known by a number of different common names including Beebalm, Oswego Tea, Bergamot, Firecracker Plant, Horsemint, Mountain Mint, Scarlet Monarda, and this particular variety of Monarda Didyma is a bushy, clump-forming plant with the mint-scented leaves and very showy, tubular, bright scarlet-red flowers that are formed into globular, terminal, 3-4 inches across flower heads. Bee Balm Scarlet Red Shades Monarda Didyma is a perennial herb that is native to North America and belongs to mint family.
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