The Snetsinger Butterfly Garden Directory

Wild bergamot’s tubular, pale lilac blooms are a veritable magnet for long-tongued bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Bees prefer it to its relative, scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma)–   bees can’t see the color red, but the lilac color of wild bergamot makes it easy for them to locate. Its common name refers to its aromatic foliage, which smells similar to that of the Italian bergamot orange used to flavor Earl Grey tea. Many Indigenous peoples utilized wild bergamot for a wide variety of medicinal uses.

Wild bergamot spreads readily by seed. It can be susceptible to powdery mildew, so good air circulation and judicious pruning will help it stay healthy in humid climates like ours. It thrives in all but the wettest soils, and loves full sun.