The Olmsted Parks of Louisville by Patricia Dalton Haragan

Author:Patricia Dalton Haragan
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780813144559
Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky

Wild bergamot

Mint Family

Monarda fistulosa L. Lamiaceae

Key features: Plant aromatic; stems 4-angled; leaves opposite, ovate; flowers many, pink to lavender, in dense terminal rounded heads.

Origin: Native.

Life form: Perennial herb from fibrous roots and rhizomes.

Stems: Stout, light green to purplish green, branching above; 1 to 5 feet tall.

Leaves: Blades rough, margins toothed, bases slightly heart-shaped to squared, tips pointed; to 5 inches long.

Flowers: Heads 2 inches wide; petals tubular, 2-lipped, upper lip erect, toothed, folded around 2 protruding stamens and style; lower lip 3-lobed; involucral bracts, pale green, often pink-tinged. June through September.

Fruits: Nutlets 4, small, dark.

Distribution: Woodland edges, thickets, open fields; especially common at Summit Field in Iroquois; uncommon at Cherokee.

In Kentucky: AP, IP, ME.

The foliage of this attractive aromatic native plant is a source of the oil of thyme and the antiseptic “thymol,” a primary ingredient in commercial mouthwashes.

Some Native Americans were known to recognize four varieties with different scents. An infusion made from the leaves or root was drunk and wiped on the head as a remedy for nosebleeds, headaches, colds, and bronchial problems. The root was used in a decoction and drank to help reduce pain in the stomach and the intestines.

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