Scarlet Beebalm; Bergamot (Monarda didyma), fam. Lamiaceae.
Occasionally grown in garden beds. A perennial herb up to 80 cm height, having long horizontal rhizome. Blooms in July. It is propagated by division, rhizome cuttings, and seeds; in the last case, blooming starts from the second year.
Scarlet beebalm flowers and leaves are suitable to prepare tea, which has mint-like taste, sedative properties, counteracts stress, and beneficial for digestion. Leaves of some Monarda species are edible even raw. The plant also has antiseptic values, especially against some mold varieties that cannot be treated by almost any other remedy. The juice of scarlet beebalm is used for wound healing.