Scarlet Monarda. Oswego Tea. Bee Balm. Bergamot.
A fruitful source of Thymol.
This pretty herb has become a favorite in our gardens. It has showy, bright pink flowers in large heads or whorls at the top of the stem, supported by leafy bracts, the leaflets of which are of a pale-green color tinged with red. Its square, grooved and hard stems rise about 2 feet high, and the leaves which it bears in pairs are rather rough on both sides. The whole plant is strongly impregnated with a delightful fragrance; even after the darkly-colored leaves have died away, the surface rootlets give off the pleasant smell by which the plant has earned its common name 'Bergamot,' it being reminiscent of the aroma of the Bergamot Orange. It is known in America as 'Oswego Tea,' because an infusion of its young leaves used to form a common beverage in many parts of the United States.
It is also sometimes called 'Bee Balm,' as bees are fond of its blossoms, which secrete much nectar. It delights in a moist, light soil, and in a situation where the plants have only the morning sun, where they will continue in flower longer than those which are exposed to the full sun. It is a very ornamental plant and readily propagated by its creeping roots and by slips or cuttings, ( needs room to spread ) we find it does great beside the Butterfly shrubs.
TIP: .....Oswego Tea blend will be available from August through the month of September...get it early, doesn't last long. Will be on the Sage Hill Farms web store beginning August 1st.
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com
I trust your summer is Awesome !
