![]() Allow the herbs to steep for about 15 minutes. Heat the water to almost boiling, and then pour over the herbs. How to Make Oswego Teaġ Tablespoon of dried flower petals and leaves (or 2 tablespoons of fresh for every cup of water) John Bartram, an English colonist living in Philadelphia, is said to have sent seeds to England in the mid-1700s, where the plant is known today as gold Melissa or Indian nettle. ![]() This variety was used traditionally as a sweat inducer in indigenous sweat lodge ceremonies. The purple flowering variety is known as wild bergamot because it smells similar to the orange bergamot citrus tree. Colonial settlers also drank the tea to avoid taxation from the crown after the Boston Tea Party. Red flowering bee balm is also known as Oswego Tea, since some Native American tribes in New York’s Oswego region used it. The flowers come in varying shades of red, purple, pink, and white. When you rub the leaves or flowers, they smell like a cross between mint and oregano. Stems are square shaped like other mints, and the leaves are pointed lancets, which grow in opposite pairs. Those long tubes contain the nectar that hummingbirds are drawn to, and the birds’ long beaks are the perfect tools to dig in. Lower petals resemble a lip, while the top petals are a mass of individual flowers that look like clustered, fanning tubes. The flowers are distinct with a spiky appearance. Appearanceīee balm is an easy plant to identify when it ‘s growing wild in fields, stream beds or woodland edges. The latter are mainly grown to enhance their essential oil, or to be used as medicine. Wild bergamot ( Monarda fistulosa) is more robust than cultivated varieties (such as Monarda didyma). ![]() Therefore, it’s a well-rounded plant that’s easy to grow and has many uses-both in the garden and for the gardener. Historically, it has been used for health care and wellbeing, prized for the essential oils it contains, and also used as a seasoning. As its colloquial name suggests, it’s attractive to bees and other pollinating insects, as well as hummingbirds and beneficial garden bugs. There are over 20 species of Monarda spp: some annuals, others perennial. This flower-which smells a bit like oregano-is one of the best pollinator-attracting plants you can have in your garden. It’s also known as horsemint and wild bergamot, and is native to North America. So now that you know more about controlling monarda plants, there’s no need to worry about them becoming out of hand in your garden.Are you familiar with bee balm? Also known by its scientific name, Monarda, it’s a flowering plant genus in the mint family. If you do not want to plant new bee balm, simply discard the dug up shoots and allow the mother plant to continue growing. Bee balm is very tenacious, and ought to take hold. Plant these sections wherever you like and water regularly for a few weeks. Using a sharp knife, divide the clump into sections of two or three shoots with a good root system. If you do want to propagate some shoots and plant them elsewhere, sever them from the mother plant and dig a clump of them up with a shovel. You should have a sense by their numbers whether you want to cut some back or not. How to Manage Bee Balm Plantsĭividing bee balm should be done in early spring, when the new shoots first emerge. Pull up the new shoots and decide if you want to throw them away or begin a new patch of bee balm elsewhere. This can be achieved by digging between the mother plant and its new shoots, severing the roots connecting them. Bee balm control can be achieved effectively by dividing bee balm. So, if you are asking the question, “is bee balm invasive,” the answer would be yes, under suitable conditions. This means your bee balm will eventually be far from where you planted it. As these shoots multiply, the mother plant in the center will eventually die off over the course of a couple years. ![]() Bee Balm Controlīee balm propagates by rhizomes, or runners, that spread under the ground to produce new shoots. Keep reading to learn more about how to manage bee balm plants. It can spread quickly, though, and requires a bit of care to keep it under control. It is prized for its color and its tendency to attract bees and butterflies. Bee balm, also known as monarda, Oswego tea, horsemint, and bergamont, is a member of the mint family that produces vibrant, wide summer flowers in white, pink, red, and purple. ![]()
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