Wild Bergamot - Monarda fistulosa
40 Seeds
Sow May - July.
Hardy perennial.
Height 60-80cm (2-3ft), spread 45cm (18in).
Prefers a rich, moist soil in a semi-shady spot.
Sow in boxes or pots in a cold frame or covered with glass or polythene.
Transplant when seedlings are large enough to handle, prick off into pots or boxes and grow on until ready for planting out in September or October.
The tuberous root produces an erect, slightly hairy square stem with tinged red at leaf joints and with a citrus like fragrance. The flowers have a shaggy head and have a tight cluster of tubular, scarlet blooms in late summer. The dark green, toothed leaves are oval, pointed with reddish veining.
Bergamot - Wild
Also known as Oswega Tea, Horsemint, High Balm, Mountain Balm and Scarlet Bee Balm.
From the family Lamiaceae.
Native to North America, Begamot received its botanical name from the 16th century Spanish physician, Nicholas Monardez, who first discovered and described it. Early American settlers because of its use by the Oswego Indians called it Oswego tea. The Shakers grew it in the late 1700s in their settlement near Oswego County in New York. Bergamot became a popular tea subsitute in New England after the Boston Tea Party in 1773.