Wild Bergamot or Beebalm Monarda fistulosa

Size: 60-90 cm (2-3 feet).

Leaves/Flowers: Leaves are oval lance-shaped, toothed, velvety, and hairy. They are arranged opposite each other on square stems, and each pair is at right angles to the next pair on the stem. They have a minty aroma.

Flowers are lavender, small 2-3 cm (1-1 1/2 in.), cluster together to make a head at the top of the stem, raggedy appearance.

Habitat: Dry-moist prairie and woodlands.

Range: New England to Minnesota, south to Texas and Georgia.

Use: The Sauk and Mesquakie (Sac and Fox), and other native groups, used the plant to make tea for a cold remedy. Several tribes used beebalm to treat wounds or other skin diseases. As its name indicates it was used as a treatment for insect bites: scrubbing the crumbled leaves on bites quickly reduces pain or itching.