07/25/2026
As midsummer gardens come alive with pollinators, wild bee-balm offers a feast for the insects that keep our ecosystems thriving. Its fragrant blooms provide abundant nectar for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other beneficial pollinators, making it a standout addition to any native garden.
Wild bee-balm (Monarda fistulosa), also known as wild bergamot, is a resilient perennial native to New England that thrives in sunny meadows, fields, and garden borders. Its lavender-pink flowers bloom throughout the summer, while its aromatic foliage has long been valued as a culinary herb and in traditional medicine.
Plants like wild bee-balm remind us that every bloom tells a story—one shaped by the fascinating relationships between native plants and the insects that depend on them. If you're interested in learning more about the pollinators you can observe in your own garden and how to support them throughout their life cycles, join us for our virtual Getting to Know Pollinators class on Tuesday, July 21, from 6–7 PM.
Register through the link: https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/getting-to-know-pollinators/
Photo: Wild bee-balm (Monarda fistulosa) © Uli Lorimer
