WILD BERGAMOT 



Monarda mollis L. 

 MINT FAMILY 



This is a handsome member of the aromatic Mint family, 

 growing in abundance on the prairie, along roadsides, and among 

 open thickets. The stems are one to two-and-a-half feet high, 

 bear gray-green, soft-hairy leaves, and are crowned in midsummer 

 by rosy-pink or lilac flowers in dense clusters. These open from 

 the centre outward. The long, narrow, upper lip of the corolla 

 stands erect, the lower and broader lip is curved downward, as 

 are also the buds, both being covered with soft hairs and showing 

 delicate gradation in color from nearly white to purple. The 

 combination of form, texture, and color throughout the entire 

 plant is in quiet, but elegant, taste. 



Unlike the eastern Bergamot many flowers are open at once, 

 so that the head is full and fluffy. This fulness of flower-head, 

 or length of spike, is noticeable in many plants of Western Canada. 

 The phenomenon is due to the coolness of the nights, to frequent 

 summer showers, and to the moisture-holding power of the black 

 prairie soil. In an unusually hot and dry season, the individual 

 flowers fade more quickly and the richness of the floral display 

 is diminished. 



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