This month we celebrate Bergamot, but not the bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia) that famously flavours Earl Grey and Lady Grey teas, although our herbs were commonly named bergamot because of the leaves having fragrance reminscent of the bergamot orange. And although the herbs are also commonly known as Bee Balm, they should not be confused with lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) which is also sometimes called bee balm because it is so useful for beekeeping.
The herbs we are looking at this month, belongs to the Monarda genus, and in particular I'll be focusing on the three commonly found bee balms in New Zealand: Scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma), Common (or Wild) Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa) and Lemon Bee Balm (Monarda citriodora).
Bergamot (M. didyma) comes in a variety of cultivars with different coloured flowers, some of the most sought after being 'Squaw', 'Croftway Pink', 'Loddon Crown', and 'Cambridge Scarlet'. Both bergamot and wild bergamot (M. fistulosa) are perennial plants, while lemon bee balm (M. citriodora) is mainly grown as an annual.
All three are used as a culinary herb, fresh or dried leaves can be added to raw or cooked food to add flavour. Flowers are edible and make attractive garnishes in salads, or floated in drinks. Delicious teas can be infused from the leaves and flowers, each giving a specific aroma.