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Dec 5, 2023 · The leaves of the bee balm plant and its vibrant flowers are treasure troves of healing compounds. People primarily use these plant parts to make herbal teas, effectively treating sore throats, cold sores, and urinary tract infections.
Feb 27, 2024 · Bee balm leaves have a minty flavor with hints of citrus and oregano, making them a delightful addition to teas, salads, and savory dishes. The vibrant flowers, which come in shades of red, pink, purple, and white, can be used to garnish desserts or infuse oils and vinegars.
Bee balm is an easy plant to identify when it ‘s growing wild in fields, stream beds or woodland edges. The flowers are distinct with a spiky appearance. Lower petals resemble a lip, while the top petals are a mass of individual flowers that look like clustered, fanning tubes.
Each name has a very good reason why it was used: Bee balm, since the bees love it; bergamot due to its aroma, which is reminiscent of the bergamot orange; Oswego tea because Native American people in the Oswego, NY region used it for teas. From my experience, the M. didyma and Monarda fistulosa can be used interchangeably.
- History of Bee Balm
- Culinary and Medicinal Uses of Bee Balm
- How to Grow Bee Balm
- How to Harvest and Preserve Bee Balm
- How to Use Bee Balm
- Do You Want to Learn More About How to Use Herbs as Medicine?
- Good Planning Is Key to A Successful Vegetable Garden
The genus Monarda was named for Spanish physician and botanist Nocholas Monardes, who published some of the first European books on American native plants in the late 1500s. However, the Native American tribes of Eastern North America and Canada used Monarda didyma medicinally for centuries before Nocholas Monardes studied the plant. (Source: Foste...
Monarda has a long history of medicinal uses by Native American tribes, American Eclectic physicians, and the Shakers. As a tea, it was used to soothe cold symptoms, including congestion, headache, and sore throats. Inhaling the fumes of steamed leaves was credited to help clear sinuses. Monarda has also been used for stomach issues such as gas, na...
Bee balm grows in a clump with 3-foot tall stalks. Most bee balm varieties are perennials and will grow in average to well-drained soil in full sun. You can grow bee balm from seed, but it establishes quicker when planted from divisions from a friend’s garden or purchased plants from your local garden center. Like other herbs in the mint family, be...
Harvest mid-morning after the dew has evaporated for the greatest flavor. Harvest by clipping the base of the stalk. Gather the stalks by their stems, tie the ends, and hang to dry. Or you can pluck the leaves and petals from the stalks, spread them out on a screen and allow them to dry naturally away from dust and sunlight. Depending on the humidi...
Bee balm tea can be made from both fresh and dried leaves. I find the flavor of tea made from Monarda didyma to be rather strong. To make tea, start with about 1-teaspoon of crushed, dried bee balm leaves per 8-ounce cup of boiling water. Steep for at least 5 minutes and drink like regular tea. If you like the bold flavor of Earl Grey tea, you will...
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The species of Monarda that may go under the common name "bee balm," including M. fistulosa, have a long history of use as a medicinal plant by Native Americans, including the Blackfoot. The Blackfoot recognized the plant's strong antiseptic action, and used poultices of the plant for skin infections and minor wounds .
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As this growth occurs, pinch back the first set of stems to help the plant fill out. Not only does early pinching encourage more compact foliage growth, but a stronger bloom set as well. As bee balm begins to flower, practice regular deadheading to encourage new blooms to continue setting.
