The Wild Bergamot was selected by Art Landseadel, City Forester, and the Oak Openings Preservation Alliance because of its natural beauty and its presence in the Oak Openings Region and City of Sylvania. Expect to see more of these beautiful and hardy plants as the City plans to infuse them throughout the City park system by the the Sylvania Conservation Corps. These plants are available for purchase for the home gardens through the volunteer Oak Openings Native Plant Program, sponsored by the Metroparks and The Nature Conservancy, at outlets such as Toledo Botanical Gardens and The Andersons. The leaves are opposite, lance-shaped and toothed.
Flowers are in heads at the end of the stalks.
The upper petal lip is bearded at the tip, while the lower lip has 3 lobes. The North American First Nations people used Monarda for stomachaches, headaches, fever, and menstrual cramps. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy as a herbal tea, and as a fragrance in perfume and soaps. Area of Adaptation Monarda is common in moist open woods, along roadsides and in moist prairies. It prefers soil with a high organic matter content, pH 6.5, and needs lots of moisture.