PlantsHerbs & Teas
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Chicago-region native. Suited to zone 6a.
Tea herb and high-value pollinator flower
EasyHerbs & TeasAlso FlowersEdible
- Light
- Full sun–part shade
- Moisture
- Dry–medium
- Mature size
- 2–4 ft
- Spacing
- 18–30 in
- Bloom or harvest
- Flowers Jul–Sep; leaves before bloom
- How it spreads
- Moderate rhizomes
- What to buy
- Plug or division for reliable residential establishment; seed for larger restoration areas.
- When to plant
- Apr–May; late Aug–Sep, finishing about six weeks before the first frost.
In the design
Thin every few years for airflow.
If you eat it
Leaves and flowers for tea or seasoning
Use clean, positively identified material
Only eat what you planted and can name. This is not a foraging or medical guide.
