"Monarda fistulosa, commonly called wild bergamot, is a native perennial that occurs in dryish soils on prairies, dry rocky woods and glade margins, unplanted fields and along roads and railroads. It is a clump-forming, mint family member that grows typically to 2-4' tall.   

Provides color and contrast for the herb garden, wild garden, native plant garden, meadow or naturalized area. May be used in the perennial border, but is simply a less colorful selection than the similar-in-appearance Monarda didyma and its many cultivars (the beebalms). Of note, this plant is tolerant of black walnut." (North Carolina Extension)

Monarda Fistulosa Botany By Dr. John Hilty

Mint family (Lamiaceae)

Cultivation:

"The preference is full or partial sun, and moist to slightly dry conditions. Growth is more luxuriant in a moist rich loam, although this can cause the plant to flop around as the growing season progresses. Under drought conditions, the lower leaves will turn yellow and drop off the stems; this reaction is normal. " (Hilty)

Faunal Associations: 

"The nectar of the flowers attracts long-tongued bees, bee flies, butterflies, skippers, and hummingbird moths. Among the long-tongued bees, are such visitors as bumblebees, Miner bees, Epeoline Cuckoo bees, and large Leaf-Cutting bees. A small black bee (Dufourea monardae) specializes in the pollination of Monarda flowers. Sometimes Halictid bees collect pollen, while some wasps steal nectar by perforating the nectar tube. The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird also visits the flowers. The caterpillars of the moths Sphinx eremitus (Hermit Sphinx) and Agriopodes teratophora (Gray Marvel) feed on the foliage. A seed bug (Ortholomus scolopax) is sometimes found in the flowerheads. Mammalian herbivores usually avoid this plant as a food source, probably because of the oregano-mint flavor of the leaves and their capacity to cause indigestion; they may contain chemicals that disrupt populations of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract." (Hilty)

1. Copyright Long Island Natives
2. "Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)" by wackybadger is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
   
3. "Flower with Bumblebee (Cabarrus County,NC)" by Hope Duckworth is licensed under CC BY 4.0
4. "mature flower, early summer, Durham County, NC" By Carol Tierney is licensed under CC BY 4.0
5. "Monarda fistulosa WILD BERGAMOT" by gmayfield10 is licensed under CC PDM 1.0
6. "Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)" by wackybadger is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
   
   

Introduction

• Monarda Fistulosa (Bee Balm, Eastern Bergamot, Wild Bergamot) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/monarda-fistulosa/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2022.

• "Monarda fistulosa, wild bergamot or bee balm in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Seen along the Middle Fork of the Flathead River." by GlacierNPS is licensed under Public Domain
• John Hilty, "Monarda fistulosa", Illinois Wildflowers, the publisher, Copyright 2004-2019. Accessed 29 January 2022
• "Monarda fistulosa L. Curtis's botanical magazine s.2 v.4 (1830)" by Swallowtail Garden Seeds is licensed under CC BY 2.0
• "Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)" by wackybadger is licensed under CC BY 2.0
• "Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) on Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)" by wackybadger is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0