Wild bergamot blooming across North America draws record observer attention
iNaturalist Community
Native Plants
Wild bergamot blooming in your neighborhood right now is one of the best plants you can add to a sunny border: it feeds native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds through midsummer when other nectar sources thin out.
Wild bergamot is a native wildflower with lavender-pink blooms that's showing up everywhere this week, with more than 1,200 people submitting verified sightings to iNaturalist. It's a member of the mint family, smells faintly of oregano, and grows across much of North America in meadows, roadsides, and garden beds. The wave of observations tells us it's at or near peak bloom right now, which is useful for anyone hoping to spot it, plant it, or forage its aromatic leaves.
Key Findings
1,218 research-grade observations submitted to iNaturalist in a single week
Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) ranked among the most observed plant species platform-wide this week
Observation spike aligns with the species' midsummer bloom window across its native North American range
chevron_right Technical Summary
Wild bergamot, a native North American wildflower, is having a standout week with over 1,200 research-grade sightings logged by citizen scientists across its range. The surge in observations reflects peak summer bloom and strong public interest in native plants.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) — 1218 observations this week
wild bergamot is among the most observed plant species this week with 1218 research-grade observations.
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Monarda fistulosa, the wild bergamot or bee balm, is a wildflower in the mint family Lamiaceae, widespread and abundant as a native plant in much of North America. This plant, with showy summer-blooming pink to lavender flowers, is often used as a honey plant, medicinal plant, and garden ornament...