As I walked through the herb garden a few days ago armed with my pruners and basket, I noticed that the Bee Balm is blooming. Its not only blooming but it is covered with many new buds which are ready to open too. Nothing is quite as lovely and interesting as the bee balm when its in full bloom. One small patch can be covered with 50 or more blooms all at the same time and puts on a display like no other herb I know. Mine blooms with a variety of colors from red to fuschia to purple and lavender all on the same plant.
I grow bee balm because it is both edible and medicinal but even if it wasn't it would still be pretty enough to make me want to plant it in the garden. Its also a great plant for attracting bees and butterflies to the garden which are so important for pollination and the reason its common name is bee balm.
Even though the bee balm is so nice to look at, it is so much more than just another pretty face and its those other uses that I really want to share. First of all, the entire plant is edible. Just the flowers can be tossed in a salad for color and flavor. The leaves and flowers can be eaten fresh, cooked and eaten hot like other greens or dried and stored for teas and seasoning. The plant is a member of the mint family and very aromatic but it doesn't taste or smell like mint. If I had to compare it to another herb then I would describe it as tasting and smelling more like a cross between sage and oregano with a dash of citrus. It gives a nice flavor to meats and stews as well as roasted vegetables. It can be used both fresh or dried.
The smell of bee balm is spicy and clean and helps to lift your mood as well as ease headaches and nerves. It can be added to a cloth bag and placed under the faucet when running a tub of hot water for a soothing scented bath. It can also be simmered on the stove to release its scent. Breathing in deeply helps to relax the body and mind but is also soothing for sore throats, congestion and colds. Use the dried leaves in a bowl of potpourri or make a sachet to place in your pillow when you go to bed to help you sleep.
When steeping that pot of bee balm or oswego tea, don't toss it out after you get all the aromatherapy out of it. The oswego tea can be strained then sipped for sore throats, headaches, allergies and to aid insomnia. It also helps with colic, cramping, gas, stomach upset, nausea, vomiting and to improve appetite. Because it promotes sweating, it also helps to reduce a fever.
The tea can be used topically for minor skin irritations and insect bites. It helps with mild psoriasis, eczema, scratches, acne, cold sores, mouth ulcers and minor cuts because it is antibacterial and antiseptic. Just place some in a small spray bottle or dip a cloth in it to make a compress. Bee Balm is one of the milder remedies and very gentle when used externally or internally. Be sure to do a test patch on skin before slathering it on since any herb can cause a reaction. Misting it on with a spray bottle can help to repel biting insects but could cause sun sensitivity.
It is often called oswego tea as I have done here. The reason is because it was used as a substitute for tea during colonial times. When the king began charging higher taxes for tea, the colonials had the Boston tea party. Then bee balm or Oswego tea, which was popular for its Earl Grey-like flavor, was the tea that became a favorite replacement. It was introduced by the Native Americans since they were already using it for teas and medicine. Oswego tea is good just by itself but can also be combined with other herbs or regular black tea as well. A combination of black tea and bee balm is similar to Earl Grey. Chamomile and bee balm is very soothing and promotes sleep. Ginger, lemon balm, mint and bee balm makes a spicy uplifting combination which soothes the stomach. I have several sun tea jars and I often make several batches of tea all at once. I combine different herbs and teas in the different jars for a variety of tea flavors. Served hot or cold and sweetened with local honey it is one of my favorite simple summer joys. I think I will pop out now and make a jar or two of herbal tea. I hope you are inspired to enjoy a cup or glass as well for both the flavor AND the benefits. Learn just one new herb at a time and add it to your survival medicine knowledge. It might just become a simple pleasure for you as well.
Southern Wood Elf
Even though the bee balm is so nice to look at, it is so much more than just another pretty face and its those other uses that I really want to share. First of all, the entire plant is edible. Just the flowers can be tossed in a salad for color and flavor. The leaves and flowers can be eaten fresh, cooked and eaten hot like other greens or dried and stored for teas and seasoning. The plant is a member of the mint family and very aromatic but it doesn't taste or smell like mint. If I had to compare it to another herb then I would describe it as tasting and smelling more like a cross between sage and oregano with a dash of citrus. It gives a nice flavor to meats and stews as well as roasted vegetables. It can be used both fresh or dried.
The smell of bee balm is spicy and clean and helps to lift your mood as well as ease headaches and nerves. It can be added to a cloth bag and placed under the faucet when running a tub of hot water for a soothing scented bath. It can also be simmered on the stove to release its scent. Breathing in deeply helps to relax the body and mind but is also soothing for sore throats, congestion and colds. Use the dried leaves in a bowl of potpourri or make a sachet to place in your pillow when you go to bed to help you sleep.
When steeping that pot of bee balm or oswego tea, don't toss it out after you get all the aromatherapy out of it. The oswego tea can be strained then sipped for sore throats, headaches, allergies and to aid insomnia. It also helps with colic, cramping, gas, stomach upset, nausea, vomiting and to improve appetite. Because it promotes sweating, it also helps to reduce a fever.
The tea can be used topically for minor skin irritations and insect bites. It helps with mild psoriasis, eczema, scratches, acne, cold sores, mouth ulcers and minor cuts because it is antibacterial and antiseptic. Just place some in a small spray bottle or dip a cloth in it to make a compress. Bee Balm is one of the milder remedies and very gentle when used externally or internally. Be sure to do a test patch on skin before slathering it on since any herb can cause a reaction. Misting it on with a spray bottle can help to repel biting insects but could cause sun sensitivity.
It is often called oswego tea as I have done here. The reason is because it was used as a substitute for tea during colonial times. When the king began charging higher taxes for tea, the colonials had the Boston tea party. Then bee balm or Oswego tea, which was popular for its Earl Grey-like flavor, was the tea that became a favorite replacement. It was introduced by the Native Americans since they were already using it for teas and medicine. Oswego tea is good just by itself but can also be combined with other herbs or regular black tea as well. A combination of black tea and bee balm is similar to Earl Grey. Chamomile and bee balm is very soothing and promotes sleep. Ginger, lemon balm, mint and bee balm makes a spicy uplifting combination which soothes the stomach. I have several sun tea jars and I often make several batches of tea all at once. I combine different herbs and teas in the different jars for a variety of tea flavors. Served hot or cold and sweetened with local honey it is one of my favorite simple summer joys. I think I will pop out now and make a jar or two of herbal tea. I hope you are inspired to enjoy a cup or glass as well for both the flavor AND the benefits. Learn just one new herb at a time and add it to your survival medicine knowledge. It might just become a simple pleasure for you as well.
Southern Wood Elf