← Back to Plant Finder

Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa

a.k.a. Bee Balm

A native perennial herb that is usually 3-4' feet tall and clumped. A beautiful mint that is used in slope and buffer stabilization because of its ability to hold soil. It is used in landscape design where it may be a little unruly due to its aggressive behavior. It is an early successional species that is used in restorations, especially in moist to dry prairies.

USDA symbol: MOFI

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height3 to 4 feet
Light ExposureSun, Part Sun
Soil MoistureDry, Medium
Bloom ColorPurple
Wild Bergamot (Wild Bergamot<div><em class="small">Monarda fistulosa</em></div>)
Photo credit: United States Department of Agriculture (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceModerate
General Resilience10
Salt ToleranceMedium
Stress ToleranceGeneral Disturbance

Pollinator Value: Very High

Bloom MonthsJuly to August
Larval Host ofBees, Moths
Specific Pollinators HostedDufourea monardae, Lintneria eremitus, Pyrausta generosa, Pyrausta signatalis
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Stem Nesting

Project Planning

Project TypeBoulevard, Erosion Control, Rain Garden, Restoration, Sandy or Engineered Soils, Shoreline Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism3
Herbivore SensitivityMedium
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadSlow
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Roseau, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands