March 20, 20264 min read
Wild Bergamot: Hummingbird and Bumblebee Heaven
Monarda fistulosa
Botanical name
Monarda fistulosa
Sun
Full sun to part shade
Soil
Average to dry, well-drained
Height
3 – 4 ft
Bloom time
July – August
Pollinators supported
Bumblebees · Hummingbirds · Hummingbird moths · Swallowtails
Wild Bergamot — the native cousin of garden Bee Balm — is a mint-family powerhouse. Its lavender flowers explode with pollinators in midsummer.
More mildew-resistant than the showier red Monarda didyma. Cut back by a third in early June for bushier plants and more flowers.
The fragrant leaves can be steeped for a traditional tea once used by Indigenous communities of the Hudson Valley.
Want this plant in your yard?
If it's milkweed, we'll give it to you free. Otherwise, we'll point you to local sources of true native plants — no nursery cultivars, no neonicotinoids.
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