

Like most mint plants, the stem is square-shaped with four flat sides. These large leaves generally smell like lemon and mint, which is why this flower shares a name with the bergamot citrus. The fuzzy, arrow-shaped leaves on a monarda fistulosa plant are a rich shade of green, and they are very fragrant. These flowers will always be a very light purple with long, tubular petals that project from the flower’s large, tuft-like base. It’s pretty easy to grow in almost any state in the US, as it tolerates dry and neglected soil.Ī wild bergamot plant can grow to about 2 or 3 feet tall, towering above grasses and other flowers to put their floral show on display for pollinators. This flower is a North American native plant that commonly grows with other wildflowers in abandoned fields, rocky roadsides, and other sunny spots.

Monarda fistulosa has a unique appearance, which makes it pretty simple to spot. Wild bergamot has arrow-shaped leaves and light purple blooms that are easy to spot in fields of other wildflowers. All of these flowers have a claim to the name “bee balm,” but they all look a bit different from wild bergamot. Other common bee balm flowers include monarda didyma, the scarlet bee balm, and monarda citriodora, lemon bee balm. Wild bergamot ( monarda fistulosa) is one of the 17 US native flowers called “bee balm.” All bee balm flowers belong to the mint family, producing large, pretty flowers with tube-shaped petals and aromatic leaves. Wild bergamot is not the same as bee balm, but it is one of the bee balm flowers. So, is this plant bee balm, and are there other bee balms? Often, people call monarda fistulosa by the name “ bee balm,” which can greater some confusion in the gardening community. So, what is wild bergamot, and why is it so great? Let’s look at this flower in depth and discuss its unique features to find out! Is Wild Bergamot the Same as Bee Balm?īefore we begin, let’s get something straight.

Wild bergamot’s lavender-colored flowers “pop” out of any landscape like a natural shower of floral confetti.
