Skip to page content Skip to site menu

Wild Bergamot

Image from USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons 

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), also known as a Bee Balm or Oswego Tea, is native to much of North America, from northern Mexico to southern Canada. It is a perennial herb in the Mint family that can grow up to four feet tall, characterized by leaves up to four inches in length and clusters of pink to purple flowers of one to three inches in diameter. Wild Bergamot is an important native species for pollinators in the United States, and is one of the most preferred species for bees, especially bumblebees (Rowe, Gibson, Landis, Gibbs, & Isaacs, 2018).   

Historical Use

The plant was used by many Native American tribes for a number of purposes.  There are first-hand accounts that members of the Hidatsa would crush dried leaves and flowers of Wild Bergamot to perfume their clothes (Wilson & Scullin, 2014). There are also a few reports that Wild Bergamot was used to treat wounds and dental infections, as well as gastrointestinal complaints. 

Fore more information, see the John R. Martin Rare Book Room.

Current Use

One of the most common contemporary uses of Monarda fistulosa is as an ornamental plant, though it is also being used widely in prairie restoration and to restore forage for wild bees (Rowe et al., 2018). However, there are a number of current investigations into useful chemicals derived from Wild Bergamot. One of the most promising is carvacrol, which has been shown to have antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties (Marchese et al., 2018; Sharifi-Rad et al., 2018). Carvacrol has been investigated for treating E. coli and Salmonella infections (Sharifi-Rad et al., 2018). In addition, essential oils from Monarda fistulosa have displayed some value as a mosquito repellent (Tabanca et al., 2013). 

Latest Research

  • High-throughput iNaturalist image analysis reveals flower color divergence in Monarda fistulosa
    by Patrick F McKenzie on June 12, 2025 at 10:00 am

    Characterizing patterns of trait variation across widespread species is a fundamental goal of natural history. Here we create a pipeline to analyze a large community science dataset and test hypothesized flower color divergence across the range of a widespread wildflower. Monarda fistulosa is a North American perennial that produces showy lavender inflorescences. Although previous literature suggests that the flowers of western M. fistulosa might display a deeper purple color than the eastern…

  • Bumble bees (Bombus spp., Hymenoptera: Apidae) of Rhode Island: species richness, relative abundance, and floral visitation
    by Elizabeth M Varkonyi on May 24, 2025 at 10:00 am

    Historical records (1900 to 1999) indicate that 12 bumble bee species occurred in Rhode Island, however, baseline data of current bee fauna are limited. To assess the status of bumble bee species in Rhode Island, a statewide survey was conducted by visual observations of bees visiting flowers and using vane traps. Floral observations in 2020 and 2021 were conducted to document flowering plant visitations and bumble bee species richness and abundance. Bees were collected using vane traps at…

  • Influence of Plant Phenology on Chemical Composition of Monarda fistulosa L. Organs and their Bioactive Properties
    by Ɓukasz Gontar on September 26, 2024 at 10:00 am

    Monarda fistulosa L. above-ground organs, collected at three phases of plant phenology, were investigated as potential raw materials for application in the food industry. They were evaluated regarding essential oil (EO) content, composition, and antimicrobial activity, as well as characteristics of phenolic fractions and antioxidant properties, which may determine health benefits and potential use in food preservation. The dominant constituent of leaf EO was carvacrol. In the inflorescence EO…

  • The Impact of Plant Essential Oils on the Growth of the Pathogens Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium solani, and Phytophthora pseudocryptogea
    by Petya K Christova on July 27, 2024 at 10:00 am

    Essential oils (EOs) extracted from aromatic and medicinal plants have the potential to inhibit the growth of various pathogens and, thus, be useful in the control of dangerous diseases. The application of environmentally friendly approaches to protect agricultural and forestry ecosystems from invasive and hazardous species has become more significant in last decades. Therefore, the identification and characterization of essential oils with a strong inhibitory activity against aggressive and…

  • Interactions between large-scale and local factors influence seed predation rates and seed loss
    by Eduardo S Calixto on July 3, 2023 at 10:00 am

    Herbivores often have highly variable impacts on plant fecundity. The relative contribution of different environmental factors operating at varying spatial scales in affecting this variability is often unclear. We examined how density-dependent seed predation at local scales and regional differences in primary productivity are associated with variation in the magnitude of pre-dispersal seed predation on Monarda fistulosa (Lamiaceae). Within M. fistulosa populations growing in a low-productivity…

References

Marchese, A., Arciola, C. R., Coppo, E., Barbieri, R., Barreca, D., Chebaibi, S., . . . Daglia, M. (2018). The natural plant compound carvacrol as an antimicrobial and anti-biofilm agent: mechanisms, synergies and bio-inspired anti-infective materials. Biofouling, 34(6), 630-656. doi:10.1080/08927014.2018.1480756 

Rowe, L., Gibson, D., Landis, D., Gibbs, J., & Isaacs, R. (2018). A Comparison of Drought-Tolerant Prairie Plants to Support Managed and Wild Bees in Conservation Programs. Environ Entomol, 47(5), 1128-1142. doi:10.1093/ee/nvy091 

Sharifi-Rad, M., Varoni, E. M., Iriti, M., Martorell, M., Setzer, W. N., Del Mar Contreras, M., . . . Sharifi-Rad, J. (2018). Carvacrol and human health: A comprehensive review. Phytother Res, 32(9), 1675-1687. doi:10.1002/ptr.6103 

Tabanca, N., Bernier, U. R., Ali, A., Wang, M., Demirci, B., Blythe, E. K., . . . Khan, I. A. (2013). Bioassay-guided investigation of two Monarda essential oils as repellents of yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. J Agric Food Chem, 61(36), 8573-8580. doi:10.1021/jf402182h 

Wilson, G. L., & Scullin, M. (2014). Uses of Plants by the Hidatsas of the Northern Plains. Lincoln, UNITED STATES: Nebraska.