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Photographer: Merel R. Black
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Family Lamiaceae
Monarda fistulosa L. subsp. fistulosa
bee balm, wild bergamot
Monarda: after Nicholas Monardes (1493-1588), a Spanish physician and botanist
fistulosa: Latin for "like a reed or pipe" or "tubular"
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| Status: | Native |
| Plant: | erect, perennial, 2'-4' tall forb, strongly aromatic; stems often branched, usually hairy toward the top |
| Flower: | pale purple to pink, 5-parted, 3/4"-1 1/3" long, stamens longer than the petals;  inflorescence a single, rounded, dense cluster 1 1/3" wide (excluding the petals) at the end of the stems; blooms July-Sept. |
| Fruit: | round, 1-seeded nutlet |
| Leaf: | opposite, lance-like with a rounded base and pointed tips, long-stalked, grayish |
| Habitat: | full to partial sun; dry, moderate moisture to wet; woods, prairies, fields; in sandy, loamy soil |
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