Is bee balm and bergamot the same thing?

One of the loveliest of the flowering herbs, Bee Balm (also known as Bergamot), is a great attractor for hummingbirds and bees. Known also as beebread plant, Oswego tea, horsemint, and simply monarda, its leaves have a strong fragrance reminiscent of the bergamot orange.

What's the difference between bee balm and bergamot?

Botanical Profile of Bergamot (Herb)

Bee balm belongs to the Lamiaceae plant family and shares more characteristics in common with its fellow plant family members – such as peppermint, lavender, and sage – than that of its fruity namesake bergamot. Bee balm is a herb native to the woodlands of North America.

Does bee balm taste like bergamot?

fistulosa is wild bee balm. Its flowers are lavender-pink and it's sometimes called wild bergamot. Both plants are members of the mint family and have a strong herbal flavor that closely resembles that of oregano.

Is bergamot also called bee balm?

A perennial-favorite native to North America, bee balm (Monarda spp.), also called wild bergamot, is beloved in flower beds for its display of beautiful blooms of red, pink, purple or white in mid- to late summer. The plants bear fragrant foliage, too.

Is bee balm used in Earl GREY tea?

Bee Balm, also known as Bergamot, Latin name Monarda, includes over a dozen varieties. Monarda fistulosa is the wild local variety. I've been assured - erroneously it turns out - that this is the plant used in Earl Grey tea that gives it a special flavor.

How to Grow Wild Bergamot (a.k.a Bee balm) - Complete Growing Guide

Does bee balm smell like bergamot?

Colonial settlers also drank the tea to avoid taxation from the crown after the Boston Tea Party. The purple flowering variety is known as wild bergamot because it smells similar to the orange bergamot citrus tree.

What is another name for bee balm?

Monarda, called by the common names of bee balm, horsemint and bergamot, is part of the mint family.

What is bergamot used for?

Bergamot is used for high levels of cholesterol or other fats in the blood. It is also used for anxiety, mental alertness, joint pain, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these other uses. Don't confuse bergamot with other citrus fruits such as bitter orange and sweet orange.

What is bee balm good for?

Today, bee balm is still used as an herbal remedy for a variety of ailments. As a member of the mint family, when bee balm is used in teas, it can help with digestive issues, bloating, sore throats, and nausea. Bee balm is a natural antiseptic and applied topically, can help with bee stings, rashes, and minor wounds.

What does bergamot plant look like?

Wild bergamot, known by many other common names, is a popular and showy perennial. Clusters of lavender, pink or white flowers, looking like ragged pompoms, bloom atop 2-5 ft., open-branched stems. This showy perennial, frequently cultivated, has aromatic leaves used to make mint tea.

Why is bergamot not edible?

The flesh tastes the same way it smells: tart, acidic, highly fragrant, and spicy. But unlike other citrus fruits, it cannot be eaten fresh. Bergamot oranges are sour, despite the fact that the fruit is a good source of vitamin C, potassium, vitamins B1, B2, and A.

Is bee balm toxic to humans?

It's leaves are used to make tea. Bee balm is not poisonous for humans. In fact, eating the leaves will not harm a cat, dog or other animals in any way. Despite not being poisonous to animals, eating parts of any plant can cause digestive upset to an animal.

Can you eat bergamot flowers?

Wild Bergamot Edible Uses. The whole of the plant parts above the ground (aerial parts) is edible.

Is bergamot the same as lemon balm?

Lemon balm (Melissa) is often called — and legitimately — bee balm, especially in England, where our bee balm may be called the “American” bee balm. Bee balm (Monarda didyma), also called bergamot, is a two to three foot showy plant with raggedy red flowers in July. If cut back, it blooms again.

Which bergamot plant is used in Earl GREY tea?

It is from a spiny tree called the citrus bergamia, that originated in the tropical climes of South East Asia and is now grown commercially in the province of Calabria in Southern Italy.

Are there different kinds of bergamot?

There are only four cultivars, Fantastico, Castagnaro, Calabrese and Femminello. Bergamot orange is harvested for its oil contained in the peel that gives off a soft and spicy aroma. Half of this oil is used in the food sector and the other half in perfumery or cosmetics.

Is bee balm and lemon balm the same?

Bee Balm and Lemon Balm are not the same plant but both are members of the mint family, Lamiaceae. The visual difference is Bee Balm is larger and produces deep red flowers while Lemon Balm is smaller and has small white flowers.

Why is it called bee balm?

Native Americans infused the Monarda plant in tea to treat lung ailments like colds and flu and used it topically as an antiseptic for wounds and to reduce the swelling of bee stings — hence, its common name: bee balm.

Does bee balm have a fragrance?

Certainly, the strong, citrusy fragrance emanating from bee balm bears more than a passing resemblance to a steaming cup of Earl Grey, but bergamot oil comes from a citrus fruit, not this cottage garden favorite.

Who should not take bergamot?

It's important to monitor those levels if you choose to use bergamot supplements. Even if you don't have diabetes, bergamot could make it harder for doctors to control your blood sugar during surgery. Experts recommend that you stop using bergamot supplements two weeks before you have surgery.

How do you use bergamot for hair growth?

Bergamot oil for hair

To use, put a few drops in your usual shampoo. You can also mix one to two drops with a tablespoon of carrier oil and massage it into your scalp as an overnight treatment.

Does bergamot raise blood pressure?

Compounds in bergamot and black tea may act as antioxidants, promote healthy digestion, and lower your cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Where can I find wild bergamot?

Monarda fistulosa, commonly called wild bergamot, is a native perennial that occurs in dryish soils on prairies, dry rocky woods and glade margins, unplanted fields and along roads and railroads.

Is bergamot a herb?

bergamot, one of several fragrant herbs of the genus Monarda (family Lamiaceae) or the fruit of the bergamot orange (Citrus ×aurantium). The bergamot herbs and the bergamot orange have a similar characteristic floral fragrance and are commonly used in perfumes and as a flavouring.

Is bergamot related to lavender?

Long prized by Native Americans as an herbal remedy and garnish, sprinkled on meats and in beverages, lavender bergamot (also known as wild bergamot, or Monarda fistulosa) is a native plant in the mint family, characterized by square stems and leaves that sit exactly opposite each other along the stem.