Oswego Tea

Monarda didyma

COMMON NAMES

• American Bee Balm
• American Melissa
• Fragrant Balm
• Gold Melissa
• Horse Mint
• Indian Nettle
• Indian Plume
• Oswego Tea
• Red Balm
• Red Bergamot
• Scarlet Bergamot
• Scarlet Monarda

Oswego tea - the erect square, grooved stems of this perennial, which grows up to three feet tall, bear greenish rough leaves and dark pink, red, or purple flowers with large, shaggy heads.

The Oswego Indians of western New York made tea from the dried aromatic leaves of Monarda didyma and shared their fondness for it with colonial settlers-who went on to use it as a substitute when imported tea became scarce after the Boston Tea Party. The Shakers thought the tea effective in treating colds and sore throats, while other settlers steamed the plant and inhaled the fumes to clear sinuses.

Closely related to Monarda didyma is Monarda fistulosa. The two species often share common names. However, M. didyma is the only one correctly called Oswego tea. Oswego tea has bright red flowers and grows best in rich, moist soil, especially in deciduous forests. Oswego tea is also known as scarlet bergamot because its scent is similar to that of the bergamot orange. M. fistulosa has lavender or sometimes white flowers and is seen in drier, sunnier areas. Apart from that, the two species are very similar in appearance. Both species are highly aromatic. M. didyma has a citrus smell, while M. fistulosa gives off a spicy, minty odor. From colonial days to the present both species-and several hybrids-have been garden flowers popular for their color and ability to attract butterflies, bumblebees, and hummingbirds.

PARTS USED

Whole herb.

USES

Its aromatic smell, reminiscent of the bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia), gives bergamot its name. Monarda, its genus, is named in honor of Spanish physician Nicholas Monardes, author of a 1569 herbal of New World plants. American settlers, protesting the tax on East Indian tea after the Boston Tea Party, drank Oswego tea prepared from the leaves and flowers of this herb, which was introduced to them by the Oswego tribe. Native Americans across the United States used Oswego tea of various species for a variety of purposes - as perfume, as a preservative for meats, and as a food and beverage. A popular garden plant, Oswego tea attracts bumblebees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Native Americans also had a variety of medicinal uses for bergamot and its relatives. Combating fever and heart disease, increasing urine flow, and stanching blood were just a few. Considered an appetite stimulant and a menstrual regulator by Native Americans as well as settlers, Oswego tea was traditionally given as a tonic to young mothers and brides in 19th-century America. Herbalists employ Oswego tea to treat nausea, vomiting, and upset stomach. Oswego tea contains the aromatic antiseptic thymol, which is widely used by dentists and modern medical practitioners. Brewed and ingested, Oswego tea treats flatulence and insomnia.
Culinary uses - Enliven the taste and look of salads by adding a sprinkling of bergamot flowers. Use fresh or dried leaves in tomato dishes, and as a substitute for sage in stuffing for poultry and meats, especially pork and veal.
Bergamot leaves, fresh or dried, make a delightfully refreshing tea, reminiscent of Earl Grey. Steep 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of leaves or flowers in 250 ml (1 cup) of boiling water. Sweeten with honey to taste. For a perfect summer cooler, serve iced bergamot tea with a slice of lemon.
Add fresh leaves and tender sprigs to wine-based drinks, fruit punch, lemonade, jellies, and fruit ices.
Craft uses - Brighten floral arrangements by including fresh or dried bergamot flowers.
Include the colorful, fragrant dried flowers in herbal wreaths and potpourris.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Native to eastern North American, Oswego tea grows wild in various habitats. Oswego tea is also widely cultivated as a garden plant.
Perennial. Bergamot does best in rich, moist, slightly acid, well-drained, highly organic soils. Add 1 cm (1/2 inch) compost each spring. Recommended pH range is 5.5 to 6.5.
Prefers slight shade, but does tolerate full sun. Plants must be kept moist during dry weather.
Start seeds indoors, or in cold frames outdoors, about 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow indoor seeds 6 mm (1/4 inch) deep; outdoor seeds 1 cm (1/2 inch) deep.
Plant seedlings in the garden a week after your last spring frost date. Plants grown from seeds sometimes don't flower the first year.
Can also be propagated by dividing mature plants in early spring. Take divisions from the outer, more vigorous parts of the clump, and transplant them slightly deeper than the mother plants.
Bergamot spreads by a large number of underground stolons, which are produced each fall. In 3 or 4 years, a clump of bergamot can expand to more than 1 m (3 feet), as the underground runners spread out from the center and send up new stems. To contain bergamot's expansive growth, plant it in a pot in the ground, or restrain it with a plastic or metal "collar" that extends from above ground to 2.5 cm (1 inch) below the earth.
After 3 or 4 years, the central stems begin to lose their vigor. To renew the plant's attractive appearance, dig up the center of the clump and replant with vigorous divisions from the periphery. Allow 25 cm (10 inches) between plants.
Usually pest-free, although aphids are sometimes a problem. Very susceptible to powdery mildew. Providing the plants with good air circulation helps prevent this problem. Use pine needles as mulch rather than lawn clippings, as pine needles allow air to circulate at ground level and hold less moisture. Cut affected plants back to 8 cm (3 inches) after blooming. Burn damaged leaves and stems to destroy the over wintering stages of the fungus.
Mulch well to protect the shallow roots. Make sure the soil does not become compacted in the winter months, as this will kill the roots.

SIDE EFFECTS AND CAUTIONS

As species of Monarda can stimulate menstruation and cause uterine contraction when consumed in large medicinal doses, you should avoid consuming large quantities of bergamot if you are pregnant or suffering from menstrual disorders.
The herb "bergamot" seems to have acquired the name by having a similar fragrance to Citrus bergamia, a small old-world tree that produces oil used in preparing Earl Grey tea. Concentrated "bergamot oil" from Citrus bergamia is sold for aromatherapy, and can be quite toxic, both externally and internally, so it should not be confused with the edible bergamot described here.

COLLECTION AND HARVESTING

Pick leaves for fresh use at any time, ideally in the morning after the dew has evaporated.
Collect leaves and blooms for drying in midsummer. Spread out the leaves on a wire rack in a shady, warm, ventilated location. If the leaves haven't dried in 2 or 3 days, place them on a cookie sheet in a warm oven, as they must dry quickly to retain color and flavor. When dry, crush the leaves and store in an airtight container in the dark.
Pick flowers when blooms are almost completely open, then hang to dry.
Freeze flowers and freshly chopped leaves for later use.
For dried floral arrangements, leave at least 30 cm (12 inches) of stem below the blooms.

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