Wild Bergamot, Monarda
fistulosa
Lamiaceae or Mint Family
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Upright plant, about 2-3 feet tall. Leaves
in pairs opposite each other, long oval or triangular.
Flowers from dense hemispherical heads above pink-tinted green
bracts (leaf-like structures below the flowers). Flowers
themselves are lilac, long narrow tubes split into two lips at
end. Stamens follow the upper lip and protrude at top.
Very showy. Blooms in summer A native plant of dry hillsides and wood edges. In Wildwood occasional in sunny areas near woods. The showy, lilac flower heads are distinctive. Other members of the genus Monarda have similar flowers heads of other colors: deep purple in purple bergamot, brilliant red in bee balm, and white in basil balm. |
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