1. Home
  2. Plant guide
  3. Wild Bergamot
Lavender
Perennial wildflower

Wild Bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

Ragged lavender crowns that hum with bees, hummingbirds, and clearwing moths; foliage smells of oregano.

the Northeastthe Mid-Atlanticthe Southeastthe Midwestthe Great Plainsthe South-Central regionthe Mountain West

Growing Wild Bergamot

One of the best all-round pollinator plants for dry, sunny ground. Give it air movement to limit late-summer powdery mildew. It’s deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, fragrant, and long-blooming.

Where it grows

Wild Bergamot is native to the Northeast. In the wild you’ll find it across Alabama · Arizona · Arkansas · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Idaho · Illinois and 35 more states. Always confirm it suits your specific county with your state native plant society before planting.

Regional Garden shows Wild Bergamot on 45 state pages.

Good for

Sourcing

Where to buy Wild Bergamot

Seeds & live plants on Amazon

Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.

Browse on Amazon

Some links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.

Plant it with

Companions & kin.

Natives that share Wild Bergamot’s range and conditions.

Perennial wildflower

Common Boneset

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Frothy white heads alive with small native bees and wasps, for ground that stays damp.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 3–5 ft
  • Blooms Aug–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Common Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

A near-continental native with flat flower heads that feed tiny beneficial insects, tough as a weed.

  • Full sun
  • Dry–average
  • 1.5–3 ft
  • Blooms May–Aug
Shrub

New Jersey Tea

Ceanothus americanus

A compact, drought-proof shrub frothing with white flowers that pollinators and hummingbirds adore.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry
  • 2–3.5 ft
  • Blooms May–Jul
Perennial wildflower

Spotted Joe-Pye Weed

Eutrochium maculatum

Statuesque domes of vanilla-scented mauve that swallowtails and monarchs cover in late summer.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 4–7 ft
  • Blooms Jul–Sep