Start by making a herbal infused oil using bee balm, and then use that infused oil to make a simple salve by thickening it with beeswax. Since bee balm is naturally antimicrobial, it also makes a great herbal salve. Bee Balm Oxymel is antimicrobial and is used as a treatment for colds and congestion.

We make an elderberry oxymel every year to fend off colds and flu. Oxymels are a mix of herbs, vinegar and honey that’s used like a raw cough syrup or taken by the spoonful as a herbal remedy. The water should be just below the boiling point because herbal flowers are a bit more delicate than teas made with roots or stems. Try 1 tablespoon of dried flower petals or 2 tablespoons of fresh petals to every cup of water. Like most herbal teas, it takes a bit longer to steep than a standard black tea, around 15 minutes. In season, the petals can also be used fresh.īee balm tea is a digestive aid that helps relieve nausea, upset stomach and gas. The individual petals of bee balm flowers pull out easily and can be dried to make a beautiful bright red tea. It’s used to treat anxiety and stress, especially in sensitive patients like children.

It’s more than just soothing on the digestive system and its antispasmodic properties also help it treat menstrual cramps as well as coughs.Įxternally, it’s used to treat scrapes, stings and rashes.īee balm is also nervine, that has a gentle calming effect on the nervous system, similar to lemon balm. It also has a soothing effect on the digestive tract and helps to treat indigestion, bloating and nausea. Medicinal Properties of Bee Balmīee balm is antimicrobial and soothing, so it’s often used to treat colds and flu. They also both grow readily from seed, and you can purchase Scarlet Bee Balm Seed Packets (Monarda didyma) as well as Wild Bergamot Seed Packets (Monarda fistulosa) easily online. Monarda fistulosa, or wild bergamot, is the wild version native to the United States.īoth species are edible and medicinal and have similar properties. There are two main varieties, Monarda didyma, or scarlet bee balm is what you’ll see most commonly in garden perennial beds. It’s a potent medicinal and a tasty edible too. There was never a need to put up a hummingbird feeder, the bee balm took care of it for me and provided for endless hours of entertainment in the summer.īut bee balm doesn’t just feed the birds and the bees. I’d wake up to a flurry of hummingbirds in the summer, arguing over the nectar inches from my window glass. My first home in Vermont had a huge patch of bee balm growing right outside my bedroom window.

Bergamot bee balm