Description
Monarda fistulosa, also commonly called Bee Balm or Horse-Mint, has a lovely lavender blossom and distinctively aromatic foliage. It is a familiar component of prairie and savanna communities on all but the wettest of soils. Native to most of North America, it often is cited for its historical medicinal applications among indigenous peoples. These include poultices for boils and lacerations, as well as tea infusions for headaches, indigestion and colds and flu. Wild Bergamot is a favorite of butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Wild bergamot is also one of the host plants of the Raspberry pyrausta butterfly. Its species name, fistulosa, refers to the tube-like structure of its blossoms, which appear from July through September, nicely complementing nearby yellow composite flowers, like Rudbeckia, Silphium, and Helianthus.