{"product_id":"wild-bergamot-monarda-punctata","title":"Wild Bergamot (Monarda punctata)","description":"\u003ch2\u003eWild Bergamot \/ Spotted Bee Balm \u003cem\u003e(Monarda punctata)\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eWild Bergamot is the eccentric cousin of Bee Balm — and arguably the more medicinally potent one. Its flowers are a botanical curiosity: whorled clusters of spotted yellow-and-lavender tubular blooms stacked in tiers up the stem, each surrounded by showy pink-purple bracts. It looks like something from another world. It heals like something from another era.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBotanical Profile\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFamily:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lamiaceae (Mint family)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative Range:\u003c\/strong\u003e Eastern and central United States, from New York to Florida and west to Kansas; native to the Gulf South and Louisiana\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–9\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMature Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1–3 feet tall\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Time:\u003c\/strong\u003e June–September\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Well-drained, sandy to loamy; drought-tolerant; dislikes wet feet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eTraditional \u0026amp; Medicinal Uses\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWild Bergamot was one of the most medicinally significant plants among Indigenous peoples of the Southeast and Great Plains. Documented traditional uses include: fever reduction and diaphoresis; treatment of digestive complaints including gas, bloating, and nausea; poultices for skin infections, boils, and fungal conditions; and as an antiseptic wash for wounds. Its primary active compound is thymol — the same antiseptic found in Listerine — present in exceptionally high concentrations in \u003cem\u003eMonarda punctata\u003c\/em\u003e, higher even than in \u003cem\u003eM. fistulosa\u003c\/em\u003e. The Meskwaki used it for colds; the Menominee for fevers; the Ojibwe as a stimulant tea. Cajun \u003cem\u003etraiteurs\u003c\/em\u003e valued it as a reliable antimicrobial in the bayou medicine chest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEcological Role\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWild Bergamot is a specialist pollinator plant, attracting native bees including \u003cem\u003eMelissodes\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAnthophora\u003c\/em\u003e species that are oligolectic on \u003cem\u003eMonarda\u003c\/em\u003e. Its tiered bloom structure supports multiple pollinator species simultaneously, and its seeds feed sparrows and finches through winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eIn the Cajun Healing Garden\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart of the \u003cem\u003eJardin — The Healing Garden\u003c\/em\u003e collection at Big Mamou Enterprises, Wild Bergamot is a rare find — a plant with extraordinary medicinal depth that most people have never heard of. Until now.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Mamou Enterprises","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49765597282544,"sku":null,"price":2.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0824\/7171\/5056\/files\/wild-bergamot_461ebc60-b2fb-4f93-bff6-eebc22985688.png?v=1779792656","url":"https:\/\/realtimecajun.com\/products\/wild-bergamot-monarda-punctata","provider":"Big Mamou Enterprises","version":"1.0","type":"link"}