Monarda, a plant that is also known as beebalm, bergamot or sometimes Oswego tea was named for Nicholas Monardes (1493-1588) a physician and botanist living in Seville, Spain.
The common name bergamot comes from the resemblance of the plant fragrance to the bergamot orange.
Beebalm comes from its ability to attract and apparently soothe bees.
The Oswego Indians of the eastern United States shared their fondness for Monarda didyma as a tea with colonial settlers. Soon after the Boston Tea Party, a shortage of imported tea forced the colonists to substitute monarda as a tea during the shortage. The Shakers learned to use the tea for treating colds and sore throats, and other settlers inhaled the fumes of steamed plants to clear sinuses. If you read the list of ingredients in Earl Grey tea now, you’ll see Monarda or beebalm listed on the packaging
3 comments:
Very pretty mosaic. Love the flowers on the dark background. Bonnie, your blog is terrific.
I knew the hummingbirds were on to something. And to think its in my favorite tea as well!
That is a very interesting post. I love to hear stories behind the picture. I have tried growing bee balm a few times, but never successfully.
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