{"title":"Bergamot","description":"Enjoy the beautiful blooms and fragrant leaves of the Sow Exotic Bergamot Collection. Sweet Leaf and Lemon Bergamot are perfect for any flower, herb, or landscape garden!","products":[{"product_id":"bergamot-sweet-leaf","title":"Bergamot, 'Sweet Leaf' (Monarda fistulosa)","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAromatic Herb with Medicinal and Culinary Value\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCommon Names:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sweet Leaf Bergamot, Wild Bergamot, Bee Balm, Horsemint, Oswego Tea\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFamily:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lamiaceae\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e North America\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBergamot 'Sweet Leaf' (\u003cem\u003eMonarda fistulosa\u003c\/em\u003e), also known as Wild Bergamot or Bee Balm, is a fragrant, perennial herb native to North America. This hardy plant is celebrated for its aromatic leaves and striking lavender-pink flowers that attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. 'Sweet Leaf' is a versatile herb used for its medicinal, culinary, and ornamental value. The leaves have a sweet, citrusy flavor and are commonly used in herbal teas, while the essential oils in the plant provide soothing and antiseptic properties. Its showy flowers and long blooming period make it a popular choice in herb gardens, pollinator gardens, and ornamental borders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDistinctive Features, Uses, and Nutritional Value\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage:\u003c\/strong\u003e 'Sweet Leaf' Bergamot has aromatic, lance-shaped green leaves with a strong, sweet fragrance reminiscent of citrus and mint. The leaves are packed with essential oils that offer medicinal benefits and culinary uses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFlowers:\u003c\/strong\u003e The plant produces beautiful, lavender-pink, tubular flowers that bloom from mid-summer to fall. These long-lasting blooms attract a variety of pollinators and are ideal for adding color to the garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e This herbaceous perennial grows 2-4 feet tall, with a clumping habit. It spreads by rhizomes and can fill in garden beds, creating a lush, aromatic herb patch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCulinary and Medicinal Uses\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBergamot 'Sweet Leaf' is well-known for its use in herbal teas, where its leaves impart a citrusy, slightly minty flavor. It’s also used as a flavoring in salads, soups, and desserts. Traditionally, Native Americans used the plant for its medicinal properties to treat colds, respiratory ailments, and digestive issues. The plant’s essential oils have antiseptic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties, making it useful in homemade salves and natural remedies.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sow Exotic","offers":[{"title":"Medium Coconut Coir Pot","offer_id":37984699351238,"sku":"A4-BER-SWE-M","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2858\/6430\/files\/LemonandSweetBergamotHerbPlantsforSale-SowExotic.com_3.png?v=1762458115"},{"product_id":"bergamot-lemon-monarda-citriodora","title":"Bergamot 'Lemon' (Monarda citriodora)","description":"\u003cp\u003eLemon Bergamot is a culinary and medicinal herb, native to the United States and Mexico that blooms in the late spring and early summer. Its 3-foot stem is covered in dense purple whorls, attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, and herbalists to the garden, while its lemon-scented leaves add a subtle, fresh scent. Bergamot can be grown year-round as a perennial or as an annual in colder climates.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sow Exotic","offers":[{"title":"Medium Coconut Coir Pot","offer_id":37984779534534,"sku":"A6-BER-LEM-M","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2858\/6430\/files\/LemonandSweetBergamotHerbPlantsforSale-SowExotic.com_2.png?v=1762458115"},{"product_id":"bergamot-bundle-lemon-sweet-leaf","title":"Bergamot Bundle: 'Lemon' \u0026 'Sweet Leaf' Bergamot Plants","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBundle Includes 2 Plants: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(1) Bergamot 'Lemon' (Monarda citriodora)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e(1) \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBergamot, 'Sweet Leaf' (Monarda fistulosa)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBergamot is a perennial or annual culinary and medicinal herb native to most of southern Canada and the United States east of the Rockies, except Maritime Provinces, and peninsular Florida, south to Veracruz in eastern Mexico. Bergamot grows wild in dry open woods, fields, wet meadows and ditches, and at the edges of woods and marshes in the eastern fourth of Texas\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBergamot is typically grown in a home garden as an ornamental and for brilliant cut flower arrangements, but it is also a powerful medicinal herb! Beautiful Bergamot blossoms make for easy, brilliant bouquets and dry into perfectly perfumed potpourri or herbal tea. Bergamot remains a prominent healing staple in traditional folk medicine. It grows wild throughout its native regions and the tea has long been used for colds, headaches and indigestion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBergamot is very fast-growing and grows compact, bright pink to lavender clumps of glossy, sweet aromatic flowers.  Easy-growing Bergamot is right at home on hard to plant sloping areas, cottage gardens, and meadows.  They tolerate almost any soil condition, as long as it's well drained. It thrives in full sun or part shade. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLemon Bergamot leaves have a lemony flavor and aroma and pink to purple blooms, where Sweet Leaf Bergamot leaves have a more sweet and minty flavor and aroma and lavender to rose blooms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eEach plant is pre-potted in a \u003ca data-mce-fragment=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/sowexotic.com\/pages\/our-plantable-pots\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/sowexotic.com\/pages\/our-plantable-pots\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ebiodegradable planter\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewith our\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca data-mce-fragment=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/sowexotic.com\/pages\/how-we-grow-it\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/sowexotic.com\/pages\/how-we-grow-it\" target=\"_blank\"\u003enatural organic soil blend\u003c\/a\u003e and sustainably shipped in \u003ca data-mce-fragment=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/sowexotic.com\/pages\/packaging-and-shipping-sustainability\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/sowexotic.com\/pages\/packaging-and-shipping-sustainability\"\u003eplastic-free compostable packaging\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailable for a limited time only! \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eRemember, our plants change seasonally, so don't miss your chance to grow these rare plants\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewhile you can!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sow Exotic","offers":[{"title":"Medium Plantable Pots","offer_id":42743568236742,"sku":"BER-BUN-M","price":33.9,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2858\/6430\/files\/LemonandSweetBergamotHerbPlantsforSale-SowExotic.com_1.png?v=1762459870"},{"product_id":"red-bergamotmonarda-didyma","title":"Red Bergamot (Monarda didyma)","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"572\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"18\" data-end=\"54\"\u003eScarlet Blooms with Citrus Spice\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"54\" data-end=\"57\"\u003eRed Bergamot forms upright, clumping stems crowned with vivid, tufted scarlet flowers that resemble bursts of fireworks in mid-summer. Its aromatic foliage releases a bright, citrusy fragrance when brushed—somewhere between orange peel and oregano—adding a sensory richness to the garden. The leaves are soft, lance-shaped, and lightly toothed, creating a lush green backdrop for its striking blooms. Growing 2–4 feet tall, it spreads gently through rhizomes, forming dense, pollinator-friendly patches over time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"574\" data-end=\"1004\"\u003eNative to eastern North America, particularly moist meadows and woodland edges, this species thrives in environments where airflow, sun, and consistent moisture meet. Red Bergamot stands out for its bold color, nectar-rich flowers, and its dual role as both ornamental and functional herb. Its leaves and petals are edible, often used fresh or dried, and carry a distinctive flavor that elevates teas and culinary creations alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1006\" data-end=\"1745\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1006\" data-end=\"1042\"\u003eCultural \u0026amp; Culinary Significance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"1042\" data-end=\"1045\"\u003eRed Bergamot holds deep cultural roots among Indigenous peoples of North America, including the Oswego Nation, who traditionally used it to brew a fragrant herbal tea—giving rise to one of its common names, Oswego Tea. During the colonial era, it became a popular substitute for black tea following the Boston Tea Party, embedding it in early American history. Medicinally, it has been used for its antiseptic and soothing properties, often prepared as a tea or poultice for colds, fevers, and minor wounds. In modern herbalism and culinary use, its petals brighten salads, desserts, and beverages, while its leaves infuse syrups and teas with a citrus-mint complexity that connects garden and table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1006\" data-end=\"1745\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2126\" data-end=\"2142\"\u003eGrowing Tips\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"2142\" data-end=\"2145\"\u003e(Also known as: Bee Balm, Oswego Tea, Scarlet Beebalm, Monarda didyma)\u003cbr data-start=\"2215\" data-end=\"2218\"\u003eRed Bergamot thrives in full sun to partial shade, with best flowering occurring in bright, open conditions. It prefers rich, well-draining soil with consistent moisture, though it can tolerate short dry periods once established. Regular watering supports lush growth, especially in warmer climates. Hardy in cooler regions, it tolerates frost and returns reliably each year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2597\" data-end=\"3126\"\u003eFeed with a balanced, organic fertilizer in early spring to encourage vigorous blooming. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong the bloom season and divide clumps every 2–3 years to maintain airflow and prevent overcrowding. It performs well both in-ground and in large containers, provided moisture is consistent. Growth is moderately fast, and good air circulation is key to preventing powdery mildew, its most common issue. Leaves and flowers can be harvested throughout the growing season, with peak flavor just before full bloom.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sow Exotic","offers":[{"title":"Medium Coconut Coir Pot","offer_id":45812975567046,"sku":"A6-BERG-RED-M","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2858\/6430\/files\/WebsitePhotos_9.png?v=1777818466"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2858\/6430\/collections\/SweetBergamotHerbPlantsforSale-SowExotic.com_3.png?v=1693579468","url":"https:\/\/sowexotic.com\/collections\/bergamot\/culinary-medicinal-herbs.oembed","provider":"Sow Exotic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}