Monarda media

purple bergamot
Monarda media[1]

Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Monarda
Species: M. media
Binomial name
Monarda media
Willd.

Monarda media is a species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name purple bergamot. It is native to eastern North America, including the eastern United States and Ontario in Canada.[2]

This species is a rhizomatous perennial herb with square stems growing 2 to 3 feet tall. It may spread to form a colony. The oppositely arranged leaves are lance-shaped and mint-scented. The inflorescence contains tubular reddish purple flowers with purplish bracts beneath. The flowers are attractive to insects. The seed heads are attractive to birds.[3]

This plant grows in swampy habitat such as stream beds.[3]

References

  1. Illustration from N.L. Britton & A. Brown (1913): Illustrated Flora of the Northern States and Canada
  2. Monarda media. NatureServe.
  3. 1 2 Monarda media. USDA NRCS Plant Fact Sheet.
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