THE FOLKLORE OF PLANTS: Bee Balm (Monarda)

Lisa Karen Miller

          I never knew what that very specific yet unfamiliar flavor was in Earl Grey tea until I began to be interested in gardening and herbs.  It is bergamot orange, a citrus fruit whose oil lends a particular bite to this popular British brew. From the Turkish for “prince’s pear,” (beg-armudi), this fruit has lent its name to those distant stepcousins in the sprawling mint family who share its special flavor.

Monarda didyma, scarlet bee balm, is so named because of its eye-catching color, a welcome sight in the summer pollinator garden. It is a bee and hummingbird magnet and makes an excellent companion for tomatoes, improving both growth and flavor.

Affectionately known to gardeners as bee balm, Native Americans called it this because they treated bee stings and other skin irritations with the leaves, not because it calms or, as some claim, mesmerizes, bees. Quite the contrary.  They are always very active and busy around these nectar feasts.

The poor honeybees, being smaller and having shorter tongues than other varieties, find it hard to get down to where the nectar is. Some have resorted to “nectar robbing,” piercing a hole in the bottom of a petal and extracting it from there.

Ah, the criminal fraternity is everywhere these days.

Along with healing wounds, these preparations also provided protection against infection, even before scientists understood what that is. Even before scientists, in fact. The Oswego made a decoction with the plant, which became known as Oswego tea, used to prevent gingivitis, throat infections, and tooth cavities.

First-hand accounts relate that “members of the Hidatsa would crush dried leaves and flowers of Wild Bergamot to perfume their clothes.” In industry today, it is used in essential oils, hair products, and perfumes. Straight from the garden, it lends its special flavor well to herbal teas and salads.

Monarda fistulosa, wild bergamot, is a widespread native version, found across the country. People often forage it in ancient fields and trailsides. It is a paler, slightly purple version of this nutritious, healing plant. It also serves as a vital native species for pollinators in the United States, being especially preferred by bumblebees.

Modern science tells us that Monarda didyma holds promise for its antioxidant, cell-protection, and stress-relieving properties.

But we don’t need a scientist to tell us that any flower, when regarded slowly, carefully, and gratefully, will brighten our lives, if only we will let it.