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NAME: Scarlet Beebalm

SPECIES / FAMILY:  Monarda Didyma / Lamiaceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):  Crimson Beebalm, Scarlet Beebalm, Scarlet Monarda, Oswego Tea, or Bergamot

CONDITIONS: sun/shade, well-drained soil
 

PARTS:	EDIBLE	TASTE	RAW/COOK	SEASON
All
Shoots
Leaves		mint	RAW/COOK	Summer
Stalk/Stem
Buds
Flowers			RAW	Summer
Fruits
Pods
Seeds
Nuts
Roots
Bark

 

PORTION: small

 

COMMENT: A mint. Flowers, Leaves - Condiment;  Tea. Leaves and young shoot tips - raw or cooked. They are used as a flavouring in salads, fruit salads, drinks etc. Flowers - raw. They are added as an attractive garnish to salads. An excellent aromatic tea is made from the fresh or dried leaves and flower heads. The leaves give an Earl Grey flavour to China tea.(1)

 

CAUTION: Excessive mint exposure may cause an arthritic condition.

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL:  Anthelmintic;  Carminative;  Diuretic;  Expectorant;  Febrifuge;  Rubefacient;  Stimulant.(1)

 

LOOK-A-LIKES:  Wild Beebalm

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES: 

 

OTHER USES: Essential;  Pot-pourri. Yields an essential oil, used in perfumery, as a hair tonic etc. The dried leaves and flowers are used to scent and add colour to pot-pourri.(1) Any mint is an insect and rodent repellent, just put some in a blender with water, sieve out fiber, use mint water to damp mop and dust. Also use to rinse woolen clothes to keep moths away.

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

1. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Monarda+didyma 
2. http://www.eattheweeds.com/?s=BEEBALM - RELATED  
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarda_didyma  (scarlet bee-balm)
4. https://plighttofreedom.com/basil-balm - RELATED
5. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Monarda_didyma (good photos)