There are a LOT of species of Monarda, all of them with confusing names that contain the words mint, beebalm and/or bergamot. The ones you have with the stacked blooms looks like Monarda Citriodora, some common names are Lemon Mint or Lemon Beebalm. It's an annual if in colder climates, so if someone wants to grow this every year, make sure to harvest seeds or let it reseed itself. The red variety you planted is probably Monarda Didyma, common names Scarlet Beebalm or Oswego Tea, and is a perennial. Hummingbirds LOVE monarda didyma and they are its primary pollinator. Monarda Fistulosa aka Wild Bergamot, is another popular species and looks similar to Lemon Beebalm, but with a single bloom instead of a stack of blooms.
@@kittenleo28 yes. The spotted bee balm (Monarda Punctata) has the highest amount of thymol in it. They look almost identical to the ones in the video but with slightly different leaf characteristics. This is my hands down favorite tea mixed with perilla leaves at night to unwind. Works extremely well for that. You can literally feel the stress leave your body. Pretty amazing what the good Lord created for us if we just open our eyes.
Thank you for reminding your viewers when wildcrafting to take only 10%. The bees and hummingbirds love this herb❤ Great information. Just found your channel ❤
My bee balm species is quite different. This appears to be wild Bee Balm. I have the Scarlet, often called Bergamot. The flower clusters are much more crimson , single bloom and the leaves are not Pencil Thin. There are many different species I have learned over the years the years
Thank you for this video!!! I have some bee balm returning strong from last year, but realized I have no clue what to do with it lol. I will harvest it once it flowers.
Is the fistula variety the one to grow for medicinal use, or are all the varieties about the same? Asking because that variety was talked about on another video as the one to grow/get for medicinal use.
Didyma and fistula can be used pretty much interchangeably and are the most potent if you are planting them. This variety is citriodora and has many similar benefits, just not quite as potent, but since it was the variety that was growing I am excited to make use of it!
You can use it fresh or dried, you’ll use a bigger quantity of fresh for tea because dried is more concentrated. The biggest reason to dry it is for storage, it will keep for about a year in your pantry dried.
When you rinse and/or dry, you lose a lot of the essential oils that are very volatile. The medicinal oils are on the tips of the trichomes and so washing the plant or drying causes the lost of most of the medicinal compounds.
