Bee Balm

Monarda didyma

Bee balm has a fresh citrus-mint aroma and flavor. It is a Northeast-native garden herb also known as Oswego tea.¹

Further notes

The name “Oswego tea” is linked to the Oswego Nation’s use of the plant for fragrant teas before early botanists documented it.²

Bee balm is also called wild bergamot because its scent recalls bergamot orange, but the two plants are unrelated: bee balm is a mint-family perennial, while the bergamot used to scent Earl Grey is a citrus fruit. Flower flavor can vary noticeably among Monarda species and cultivars.³

Footnotes

1. University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Maine Home Garden Newsletter — May 2026,” accessed July 17, 2026. ↩

2. University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Maine Home Garden Newsletter — May 2026,” 2026. ↩

3. University of Minnesota Extension, “Edible Flowers,” accessed July 17, 2026; Smithsonian Gardens, “A Tempest in a Teapot: Alternative Plants to Traditional Tea,” accessed July 17, 2026. ↩