Monarda “Cambridge Scarlet”

One of the most spectacular plants in Grapes Hill Community Garden at the moment is Monarda “Cambridge Scarlet”.

This is a hardy perennial with scented foliage and spectacular scarlet flowers from mid-summer to early autumn. It grows about 90cm tall and is one of a number of cultivars of Monarda grown in gardens, whose flowers range through whites, pinks and reds. The scent of the leaves is like that of the Bergamot Orange, Citrus bergamia, which is used to flavour Earl Grey tea and so Monarda is commonly known as Bergamot. However, the plants are not related – Monarda is in the Mint family (Lamiaceae), whereas the Bergamot Orange is in the family Rutaceae, along with other citrus fruits such as the Lemon and Grapefruit.

About sixteen species of Monarda grow wild in North America. The flowers of Monarda didyma are scentless but full of nectar and are pollinated mainly by the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, whereas Monarda clinopodia has scented whie flowers with a small amount of nectar and is pollinated by Bumblebees (M. Mark Whitten, Amer. J Bot. 68(3), 435 – 442 (1981)). See “The Monarda Speaks” on the Garden Walk, Garden Talk website for some lovely photos, including a hummingbird visiting a Monarda flower. In Britain Monarda flowers attract Bumblebees and another common name for Monarda is Bee Balm.

Monarda likes to grow moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade and this summer’s rain has suited it very well. In drier conditions a mulch of garden compost keeps the soil moist and helps to prevent powdery mildew, which many cultivars of Monarda can develop. Some more modern varieties, such as “Squaw” have much higher resistance to mildew. Slugs and snails can also be a problem in spring.

The dried seedheads form an attractive feature in winter To propagate, divide the plants in spring. Clumps spread outwards quite quickly when the growing conditions are good.

Monarda leaves can be used as potpourri and the plant was used medicinally by native Americans. Like many other members of the Lamiaceae, the plant contains thymol, a natural antiseptic and it was used to make a tea that was used as a treatment for mouth and throat infections. See the International Herb Association website for a recipe for Bee Balm Tea and the The Medicine Woman’s Roots website for more suggestions on medicinal uses.

Monarda flowers can be used once fully open and, in small quantity, will enhance pork, chicken and fish recipes. They can be dried and kept in an air tight container for a few months. In her superb book “Good Enough To Eat” (Kyle Cathie, 1997) Jekka McVicar includes recipes for Cod Steaks With Bergamot and Bergamot and Burghul Salad. On the web, most “Bergamot” recipes use Bergamot Oranges but I managed to find an intriguing recipe for Monarda Sandwich Spread, whch may be worth a try.

And in case you didn’t know, Monarda is named after the 16th Century Spanish physician and botanist Nicolas Monardes.