Uses of Wild Bergamot

Ornamental Use

• Also known as bee balm, sweet leaf, horsemint or Oswego tea, wild bergamot is an attractive, hardy and easy-to-grow herb that produces showy, long-lasting flowers, making it popular as an ornamental plant. Gardeners in the central and eastern United States and southern Canada who prefer to landscape with native plants are partial to wild bergamot, which is indigenous to the area. Wild bergamot also tolerates drought and poor soil. It is prone to mildew, and needs plenty of air circulation and well-draining soil. The "Claire Grace" cultivar, which produces deep pink flowers, is known to be somewhat mildew resistant. Wild bergamot thrives in either full sun or partial shade.

Attracting Wildlife

• Wild bergamot is also celebrated for its power to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. For this reason, it is a mainstay of North American butterfly gardens. Its ability to draw bees has given rise to its alternate name, bee balm. Bees are important pollinators for a variety of plant species, while hummingbirds and butterflies are loved for their colorful and delicate beauty.

Historical Medicinal Use

• For the original inhabitants of its native range, wild bergamot was medicine. Members of the Chippewa tribe used the dried, powdered leaves and flowers of this plant as a burn salve. A decoction brewed from its flowers and roots was used to expel parasites. The Ojibwa used a similar decoction to soothe stomach and intestinal pain. The Menominee drank wild bergamot leaf tea to cure catarrh, or inflammation of the mucus membranes.The Meskwaki also drank this tea for catarrh, as well as for relief from headaches. Native Americans taught early European settlers to use wild bergamot as a remedy for bronchial problems, sinusitis, flatulence and stomach upset.

Modern Medicinal Use

• "Medicinal Plants of North America" author Jim Meuninck reports the contemporary use of wild bergamot and its red-flowered cousin, Mondarda didyma "bee balm," for the treatment of pre-menstrual syndrome, menstrual cramps, indigestion and flatulence. Meuninck also suggests that the wild mint family plants contain compounds that protect against the diseases of aging.