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Curated botanical record

Bee balm

Monarda fistulosa L.

Also indexed asbeebalmwild bergamot/Aamoogaawanzh (weca'wûs wackwî'nek)BeebalmHorse-mintMintleaf BeebalmMonarda morada
FamilyLamiaceae
GenusMonarda
Use categories2
Linked notes2

Botanical identity

An aromatic mint-family plant used in teas and culinary preparations.

KingdomPlantae
Phylum / divisionTracheophyta
ClassMagnoliopsida
OrderLamiales
FamilyLamiaceae
GenusMonarda
Scientific name with authorshipMonarda fistulosa L.
Curated parts indexedLeaves and flowers

Indexed scientific synonyms

Monarda caerulea Benth.Monarda fistulosa SimsMonarda fistulosa f. fistulosaMonarda fistulosa var. typica Sherff

Documented use categories

Medicine
Environmental use

These categories describe the kinds of human-use reports attached to the taxon in the source checklist. Multiple categories can coexist; a plant may be recorded as both food and poison, depending on part, preparation and context.

How to interpret this record

Traditional and practical context

Traditional context is preparation-specific and is presented as historical or practical context rather than proof of effectiveness.

Evidence boundary

Evidence must be assessed by species, plant part, preparation, route, dose and the exact health question. Culinary use cannot be generalized to concentrated extracts.

Safety boundary

Confirm botanical identity, plant part, route, dose, medicines, allergies, pregnancy, breastfeeding and age before use.

Dataset record and provenance

DatasetWCUPS 2020
LicenceCC BY 4.0
Name sourceIPNI
IPNI / external identifier452042-1
Use codesEU ME
Crop wild relativeNo

Contributing checklist sources

Kew Economic Botany CollectionUSDA GRINMedicinal Plant Names Services v8.2

Read the full dataset citation, licence and import methodology →

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Educational index, not a treatment recommendation

The presence of a taxon in this database does not provide a diagnosis, dose, formulation or assurance of safety. Some indexed plants are toxic, regulated, endangered or unsafe in specific life stages.

Ethnobotanical layer

Traditional-use records for Bee balm.

Historical associations preserved from the USDA Dr. Duke dataset. These records are not treatment recommendations.