Bee Balm da Bomb

An herbal tea native to New York

I came home from our annual trip to Colorado to find my garden an absolute jungle. The Hudson Valley’s weather is going back and forth between hot and humid and downpours— a tropical mix that is making it difficult to keep up with the weeds. I’m considering waving a white flag and hiring someone to help.

But a pleasant surprise when I came home was that my bee balm and wild bergamot were in full bloom!

Bee balm is native to the Northeast and is an integral part of my pollinator garden. It is also found in the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest, while wild bergamot is native to most of North America. They are exceptionally easy to grow. What is the difference exactly?

The flowers on the left are bee balm. The flowers on the right are wild bergamot.

Bee Balm vs. Wild Bergamot

Bee balm and wild bergamot are two distinct plants that are closely related. They both have tubular-shaped flowers, similar leaves and stems, and a minty flavor when crushed. They are members of the mint family. Bee balm tends to come in shades of red, while bergamot comes in a lavender-pink shade. In my yard, the bergamot is slightly taller, and the bees are all over it. They also like the bee balm, but the bergamot seems to be attracting more pollinators, including butterflies. My neighbor, however, spotted a hummingbird on the bee balm early one morning.

An alternative name for bee balm is Oswego tea, as the Oswego tribes of New York used it. These Native Americans made tea and also taught European settlers the value of the plant. Oswego tea is one of the few plants known by its Native American name. The Shakers settled in this area, and, being herbalists, used the flower for both culinary and medicinal purposes. The plant was also used to soothe insect and bee bites, hence the name “bee balm.”

I came across a factoid that bergamot is used in Earl Grey tea, but alas, it is not this bergamot. They use bergamot orange, a non-edible citrus that is grown commercially in Southern Italy and cultivated for its skin. The skins are cold-pressed into oil and also used in Turkish marmalade. Wild bergamot derives its name from its flavor, which is similar to that of a bergamot orange. Wild Bergamot was also prized by Native Americans, with many tribes using it to treat the common cold or headaches.

Both plants grow from rhizomes, which means they have an underground plant stem that spreads and sends up shoots. In other words, it spreads a lot. However, it is very easy to pull out and control. Plus, once you pull it out, you can give it away. It transplants very well.

How to Enjoy