Variety: Wild Bergamot (organic*) In the Kitchen: Bergamot leaves make a fantastic accompanying flavour to meat dishes. Garlic, for example, repels slugs and aphids – which is great if we plant them next to our veggies who have a known weakness for aphids. This flower—which smells a bit like oregano—is one of the best pollinator-attracting plants you can have in your garden. Bergamot (Monarda didyma) is a North American native plant with a scent of oranges. Wild bergamot is one of several plants also known by the common name of bee balm. Bergamot/bee balm. Companion Plants Purple Coneflower Rattlesnake Master Joe Pye Weed Yellow Coneflower Compass … Plants bloom more vigorously if they are divided in spring or fall every 3-4 years. The latter is a shorter, little branched plant with leaf stalks that are rarely over … Wild Bergamot sends up multiple leafy stems in a tight cluster, giving the plant a bushy appearance. SUGGESTED CARE: Requires little care once established. This is an aromatic family of herbs, which means you gain an eye-catching flowering plant which bees and other pollinators love, and its flowers and leaves can also be used in your cooking. It’s also known as horsemint and wild bergamot, and is native to North America. Monarda fistulosa, commonly called wild bergamot, is a native perennial that occurs in dryish soils on prairies, dry rocky woods and glade margins, unplanted fields and along roads and railroads. I first met beautiful, wild Monarda didyma in the woodlands and meadows of North Carolina. fistulosa, very common throughout the state, and var. Luckily for us, these "mystery" plants were wild bergamot (Monardo fistulosa), and they turned out to be our biggest bonus "crop" of all! They made a tea to treat colds. Wild Bergamot. Monarda bradburiana has similar appearance and culture and could be substituted in some situations. Wild Strawberry. It’s a very bushy plant that spreads a lot by roots and by seed—making it best suited for large, wild gardens. CULTURAL & MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Monarda bradburiana thrives in sun or part shade with well drained soil. BC AB SK MB desert forest grassland mountain ocean urban wetland. Wisconsin’s Native Americans used bergamot for medicinal purposes. Wild Bergamot is a favorite of bees and butterflies, but herbivores usually avoid it as the oregano-mint flavored leaves can cause indigestion. It can grow to approximately 1m in height. Black-eyed Susan. Number of plants: 3. The leaves can be used sparingly in salads and fruit drinks, while the dried leaves or fresh leaves can be made into a tea. Wild Bergamot is a member of the Mint family. Feel free to plant your wild bergamot either in the spring or the fall. BEE BALM / WILD BERGAMOT SEEDS - Monarda fistulosa Famous for its beauty and fragrance, Bee Balm, also know as Wild Bergamot, is an old flower garden favorite.A Native North American Wildflower, Wild Bergamot can be found ranging from Canada to the American Southeast. Both intuition and objectivity guide my choice of Monarda—known also as bee balm, Oswego tea, horsemint, or bergamot—as one of my best friends in the herb garden. Like all monardas, it tends to get powdery mildew in late summer, but it isn’t a big deal. Blooming for weeks from mid summer to early fall, they rest upon a whorl of decorative whitish bracts. An introductory nature guide to the plants and animals of Western Canada. Cultivation. across (5-7 cm). It is a clump-forming, mint family member that grows typically to 2-4' tall. Bergamot is a good all round companion for plants that need any … Variety: Wild Bergamot (organic*) Can be grown in: Plant along your vegetable patch border, ideally against a wall or fence to give it some support. The Indigenous peoples of North America had many medicinal uses for Wild Bergamot, from curing headaches to relieving the symptoms of colds and fevers. Frost tolerant. Wild bergamot was considered a medicinal plant by many Native Americans including the Menominee, the Ojibwe, and the Winnebago (Ho-Chunk). Rich soil that holds moisture well. Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot) is a clump-forming perennial boasting masses of fragrant, lilac-purple, tubular flowers, borne in dense, globular terminal heads, 2-3 in. PerennialSun:    Full Sun, Part ShadeMoisture:    Dry, Medium, Medium-WetHeight:    4 feetBlooms:    July, Aug, SeptColor:    PurpleSpacing:    2-3′Spreads: 8” a year by roots; a lot by seedZones:    3-9Benefits:    Butterflies, Pollinators, Hummingbirds. Lemon bergamot, in particular, offers very long lasting cut flowers. A good companion for bee balm is summer phlox (Phlox paniculata). Wild Mint. It grows up to 5 feet tall and produces pinkish-purple flowers in mid- to late summer. Although this hardy plant can grow in areas that are less than ideal, it prefers full sun and rich, well-draining soil. Wild bergamot. Plants tolerate drought and shallow rocky infertile soils. Wild bergamot prefers full sun but will tolerate light shade. You can divide its new roots in the spring and transplant new plants. Also known as bee balm, this plant is a valuable nectar source for monarch butterflies, and the flower clusters are highly attractive to native bees and bumblebees. Wild Bergamot sends up multiple leafy stems in a tight cluster, giving the plant a bushy appearance. Monarda fistulosa (Wild bergamot) will reach a height of 1.2m and a spread of 0.5m after 2-5 years. Bergamot plants prefer moist soils to keep moisture. ... Wild Bergamot. Space plants between 18 and 24 inches apart. The stems are square and the gray-green, hairy leaves have jagged edges and are 1-3 in long. May require staking in small gardens and needs competition to control spreading. May require staking in small gardens and needs competition to control spreading. To prevent the center from dying, divide it into 2 to 3 years, as it dies from the middle and starts spreading to the unwanted area. The stems are square and the gray-green, hairy leaves have jagged edges and are 1-3 in long. Mature plants can be divided. Bees (attract & feed bees), Beds and borders, Cottage/Informal, Low Maintenance, Prairie planting, Wildflower, Wildlife. COMPANION & UNDERSTUDY PLANTS: Try pairing Monarda fistulosa with Coreopsis tripteris, Rudbeckia hirta, Liatris spicata, Schizachyrium scoparium and Andropogon gerardii. Big enough to be called bushy, plant this in a small group or scattered in a garden. Plant in moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. Blazing Star. Wild Bergamot is a favorite of bees and butterflies, but herbivores usually avoid it as the oregano-mint flavored leaves can cause indigestion. Companion Plants. Bergamot Growing Guide Crop Rotation Group. How to Grow Bergamot. Position. The Wichita Mountains form of Monarda fistulosa is a wildflower gem blooming in mid-summer with a fabulous display of lavender-pink flowers that attract hummingbirds. It was used most commonly to treat colds, and was frequently made into a tea. Cosmos and Lovage. SUGGESTED CARE: Requires little care once established. Beargrass. Wild bergamot, more commonly known as bee balm or Monarda fitulosa, is a perennial flowering plant native to North America. Bergamot can also be used for dried floral arrangements and potpourri where they offer long lasting colour. COMPANION PLANTS: There is a wide range of associates including yellow They made a tea to treat colds. But they bloom at different times, providing you with a succession of blooms that will attract hummingbirds. Did you know? Minty leaves smell good when touched. However, if it doesn't get enough sunlight, it may not flower as much. Wild Licorice. Wild bergamot does require a spot with plenty of air circulation to prevent powdery mildew. Today, many families still use wild bergamot during the cold and flu season. Sharing the colors and hues of bee balm it provides a sturdy mostly care-free floral display that compares favorably with monarda. There are 2 varieties of Wild Bergamot in Minnesota, var. The leaves are also wonderful used in herbal tea. A cold-hardy perennial which can survive temperatures to -30C (-20F) Feeding. While both are prone to mildew, they benefit from similar prevention … An excellent native plant for a wild garden, Monarda fistulosa grows to two to three feet and has tousled pink-purple flowers that attract hummingbirds and bees. Miscellaneous Soil. Wild Bergamot, also called bee balm or monarda, forms large bushy clumps with tons of lavender flowers blanketing the top. Topdress the dormant plants with good compost in winter. Also known by its scientific name, Monarda , it’s a flowering plant genus in the mint family. Wisconsin’s Native Americans used bergamot for medicinal purposes. Other companion plants emit a strong odor that pests detest. COMPANION PLANTS: Butterfly Bush, Salvia, Coneflower Image: USFWS Mountain-Prairie , Monarda fistulosa - Wild Bergamot (12775811995) , CC BY 2.0 Share this Like all monardas, it tends to get powdery mildew in late summer, but it isn’t a big deal. Plants such as beans, for example, fix nutrients back into the soil, making them available for neighboring plants. Wild Bergamot is a favorite of butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Its pinkish-lavender flowers look like ragged pompoms at the top of 2-5 ft stems. Drought resistant/drought tolerant plant (xeric). Members of the mint family (Lamiaceae), Monarda didyma (Bee Balm) and Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot) are the most commonly cultivated of the 16 species native to North America. Bergamot, Bee Balm Plants Monarda fistulosa Monarda fistulosa was the Herb Society of America's 2013 Notable Native Herb! In the Kitchen: Bergamot leaves are wonderful used in herbal tea. Wild Blue Flax. ... An In-Depth Companion Planting Guide Wild bergamot grows best in a moist, rich loam with a pH between 6 and 8, although loam soils may cause the plant to flop around during the growing season. This is a beautiful North American wild flower with a strong scent and very attractive lavender coloured flowers. Companion Plants The most obvious choices for companion plants for Wild Bergamot would have to be Red Bee Balm, and Spotted Bee Balm. Companions. Aster. Suggested uses. Mature plants can be divided. Plants grow 1-2’ tall with an equal spread. Number of plants: 3. Companion Plants for Bee Balm. Purple ConeflowerRattlesnake MasterJoe Pye WeedYellow ConeflowerCompass PlantBig Bluestem, © 2020 Blazing Star Gardens LLC | blazingstargardens@gmail.com, Wild Bergamot/Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa). menthaefolia, a more western species found in only a few Minnesota counties. Wild bergamot attracts a number of specialist bees, bumble bees, predatory wasps, hummingbirds, and hawk moths. 1. If you give them ample water at least once a week or more during the growing season, bee balm (Monarda) will reward you with its charming flowers for two months or more. This species is resistant to powdery mildew. Wild bergamot is also one of the host plants of the Raspberry pyrausta butterfly. A small black sweat bee, Dufourea monardae, is a specialist of bee balm in the Midwest and Northeast. American or Wild senna. Swallowtail butterflies and pollinators are attracted to this plant for nectar and pollen. Be careful–Wild Bergamot spreads both by underground rhizomes (roots) and by seed. Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa. Besides being related through genus, they like the same/similar conditions. AddThis. Plants. COMPANION PLANTS: There is a wide range of associates including yellow Be careful–Wild Bergamot spreads both by underground rhizomes (roots) and by seed. Wood Lily. Although only briefly in bloom, this plant is visited by bees, butterflies, and bumblebees. Morning sun with partial afternoon shade. Use mulch to maintain moisture around the plant, it will help to control the weed. 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