– Oswego tea, scarlet beebalm, fragrantbalm, mountain-mint - eastern United States, especially Appalachians, eastern Canada Monarda clinopodioides A.Gray – basil beebalm - Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana.– white bergamot, basil beebalm - eastern United States, especially Appalachians – lemon beebalm, lemon-mint - southern United States, northern Mexico Monarda bradburiana L.C.Beck – eastern beebalm - mid Mississippi Valley.These are easily distinguished by several characteristics. Monarda is divided into two distinct subgenera, Monarda and Cheilyctis. The genera Blephilia and Pycnanthemum are close relatives of Monarda, but they might not be the closest. Molecular phylogenetic studies of this tribe have been poorly sampled, and relationships within it remain unclear. Monarda is in the tribe Mentheae of the subfamily Nepetoideae in the mint family. Coleophora monardae feeds only on Monarda plants, and C. Monarda species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including case-bearers of the genus Coleophora. Ecology Wasp ( Sphex flavovestitus) pollinating M. The UK National Collection of Monardas is held at Glyn Bach Gardens at Pont Hywel, Efailwen, near Llandissilio in Pembrokeshire. The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit: Some hybrids have been developed to produce high levels of essential oil for use as flavoring or medicine. These are generally not as robust as wild species. There are over 50 commercial cultivars whose hybrid colors range from dark red mahogany to bluish lilac to multiple shades of pink. They are prone to developing powdery mildew in high humidity, especially if planted in a place without good air circulation. Monarda are used in beds and borders to attract hummingbirds, pollinating insects, and insects that control garden pests. Plants growing in partial shade spread horizontally and produce fewer flowers. Monarda plants thrive in sun and moist but well-drained soil. The plants are widespread across North America and can be found in moist meadows, hillsides, and forest clearings up to 5,000 feet (1,500 m) in elevation. Bee balm was traditionally used by Native Americans as a seasoning for wild game, particularly birds. Īlthough somewhat bitter due to the thymol content in the leaves and buds, the plant tastes like a mix of spearmint and peppermint with oregano. Bee balm was also used as a carminative herb by Native Americans to prevent excessive flatulence. The Winnebago used a bee balm tisane as a general stimulant. Bee balm is a natural source of the antiseptic compound thymol, the primary active ingredient in some modern commercial mouthwash formulas. A tisane made from the plant was also used to treat mouth and throat infections caused by dental caries and gingivitis. Native Americans and later settlers also used it to alleviate stomach and bronchial ailments. The Blackfoot recognized the strong antiseptic action of the plants, and used them in poultices for skin infections and minor wounds. didyma, have a long history of use as medicinal plants by many Native Americans, such as the Blackfoot, Menominee, Ojibwa and Winnebago. Several species, including Monarda fistulosa and M. didyma contained the highest concentration of oil. The crushed leaves of all species exude a spicy, fragrant essential oil. Seed collected from hybrids does not yield plants identical to the parent. Hybrids occur in the wild, and they are common in cultivation. didyma has bright carmine red flowers, M. Flower color varies, with wild species bearing red, pink, and light purple flowers. They are typically crowded head-like clusters of flowers with leafy bracts. Inflorescences occur at the top of the stem or emerge from the axils. They are monoecious, with male and female structures in each flower. The wild flowers are single, but some cultivated forms have double flowers. The flowers are tubular and bilaterally symmetric, with a narrow upper lip and a wider lower lip. The slender, serrated, lanceolate leaves are oppositely arranged on the square stem, hairless or sparsely hairy, and about 7–14 cm (2.8–5.5 in) long. They grow erect to heights of 20–90 cm (8–35 in). Monarda species include annual and perennial herbaceous plants. The genus was named for the Spanish botanist Nicolás Monardes, who wrote a book in 1574 describing plants of the New World. Common names include bergamot, bee balm, horsemint, and oswego tea, the first being inspired by the fragrance of the leaves, which is reminiscent of bergamot orange ( Citrus bergamia). Monarda is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae.
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