Monarda fistulosa (Figure 1) is a perennial herb in the Lamiaceae family that grows in dry, disturbed soils throughout eastern North America. Like all mints, M. fistulosa has square stems and opposite foliage. The lanceolate leaves have small petioles with finely serrated margins and prominent midribs. The individual florets are lavender colored, tubular in shape and explode in a cluster from the receptacle. Together, the inflorescence appears to be the rays of a large whorled flower. Not only is the plant attractive, but for the garden, M. fistulosa is extremely drought tolerant, deer resistant, fertilizer free and low maintenance. (Culina, 2008) Best of all, pollinators love it, including the infamous hummingbird butterfly. (Figure 2) There are several Monarda spp. which are distinguished by their distribution area, their habitat, the pubescence of their leaves and the color of their flowers; however, their uses are considered interchangeable. For many plants, names can be revealing, and Monarda spp. are a good example of this. Not only does the Latin name "Monarda" derive from the Spanish physician and botanist Nicolás Monardes, but the common names also suggest a therapeutic use. Commonly known as: Bee Balm, Horse Mint, Oswego Tea, Wild Bergamot, Indian Perfume and Sweet Leaf; these descriptions reflect the history and importance of Monarda spp., while producing images of a powerful and effective tonic remedy. Ironically, wild bergamot is rarely discussed in this capacity by contemporary Western medicine, and is easily overlooked because it has not been rigorously studied by science. However, the herbalist performing organoleptic tests can decipher the therapeutic use of Bee Balm in a single breath of the crushed leaves in the middle of paper......have not followed their noses in placing Bee Balm Bee in their yards and on their shelves as a standard spice. Works Cited REFRENCES: Cullina, William. (2000) Wildflowers: A Guide to Growing and Propagating Native North American Flowers. Houghton Mifflin, Boston: Mass. Crow, Tis Mal. (2001) Native Plants, Native Healing, Traditional Muskogee Way. Indigenous Voices: Summertown, TN. Pengelly, Andrew. (2004) Constituents of medicinal plants: an introduction to the chemistry and therapeutics of herbal medicine. CABI Pub: Wallingford, Oxon.Wood, Matthew. (1997) The Book of Herbal Wisdom: Using Plants as Medicine. North Atlantic Pub: Berkeley, California. Petersen, Dorene. (2013) Herb 101 Herbalism Basics. American College of Health Sciences: Portland, OR. Retrieved from: http://issuu.com/achs/docs/herb101_achs_etextbook_january_2013/42?e=1199309/1020824