Photographer: Ellyn Meyers

Wild Bergamot typically grows in large clumps with solitary clusters of spiky pink flowers at the ends of branches covered with lance-shaped foliage. It prefers rich soils and is a magnet for butterflies.

The flowers are noted for their fragrance and are a source of oil of thyme (thymol). Native Americans valued the plant for its medicinal value as a sweat inducer. When made into a tea and inhaled, it is soothing for bronchial complaints. Thymol is used as a stimulant and for relief of gas and nausea

Bloom time: July