Bergamot Makes A Good Tea

I wanted to record what the plant Bergamot looks like because it is another useful edible and medicinal plant growing in Pure Water Hollow. We have had large patches of this growing on the hill between our garden and the Pear Tree path. This year we did not find as much as other years. It makes a good tea that we have enjoyed, especially when combined with other mint leaves. It blooms here in early summer.



I pulled the following info off of someone elses website, so I can’t vouch for the accuracy. We have never used it medicinally ourselves, but we like to know about potential uses for our plants:

Bergamot (Monarda didyma)): Perennial to 1 metre tall and 40cm wide. Also known as Oswego Tea and Bee Balm. Oval leaves, smelling like mint and basil, with pointed tips on stems to 1 metre tall. Grows in large clumps and spreads on runners. Red flowers, which smell of oranges, emerge in shaggy clumps in summer. Pick leaves and flowers through the growing season, but if drying for medicinal purposes, the leaves should be harvested just before flowering or while the plant is in full bloom. Reject any leaves affected by mildew.

Use an infusion of leaves for indigestion, headache, coughs, sore throat, nausea, and menstrual cramps. A steam inhalation of the leaves gives relief for bronchitis.

Medicinal Actions: Expectorant, disinfectant, carminative, antiseptic, antifungal

Usual Dosage: Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 teaspoon dried leaves. Steep for 15 minutes. Strain, and take 1-2 cups per day.