What can you do with bee balm flowers?
Dried bee balm leaves are often used as a spice in many food dishes, tasting similar to oregano or thyme. Fresh leaves can be used to add spice to beverages and salads. Bee balm is part of the mint family. The citrus minty flavor in the flowers will enhance salads, desserts, and teas. The leaves and flowers can be prepared into tinctures, vinegars, honeys, oxymels, teas and steam inhalations from the fresh plant.The aromatic leaves serve as a substitute for mint and can be dried for tea. Dried leaves and flowers are also useful in sachets and potpourri. A native wildflower hybridized for gardens, the flowers of bee balm are at their peak in summer.The leaves and flowers can be prepared into tinctures, vinegars, honeys, oxymels, teas and steam inhalations from the fresh plant. It can be dried and stored for teas, which still retains a high concentration of volatile oils.
Is the bee balm flower edible?
Bee balm flowers are revered for being edible but they’re also appreciated for their ability to attract pollinators and birds to the garden. As a member of the mint family, it has a citrusy aroma with a minty flavor (no surprise there! Cutting off bee balm flowers as they fade not only keeps the plant looking tidy, it also promotes new flower production and extends the blooming period. I use garden snips or hand pruners to clip the stems back to a healthy set of side shoots. These will push out new growth and fresh flower buds.Selecting the plant: Choose healthy bee balm plants that are free from any signs of disease or pests. Look for vibrant green leaves and fully developed flowers. Harvesting leaves: To harvest the leaves, use clean, sharp scissors or pruning shears to snip the individual leaves close to the stem.Spring to Early Summer If you want bee balm to grow bushier, cut or pinch the growing tips off your plants with your fingers. You can also employ the “Chelsea chop” method by cutting the plant stems back by 1/3 to 1/2.Deadhead faded blooms to encourage the plant to re- bloom in late summer. After the first frost in the fall, cut stems back to about 2 inches above the soil. See local frost dates. Divide bee balm every 2 to 3 years to ensure its vigor.Timing: The ideal time to harvest bee balm is when the flowers have just started to open fully but haven’t completely bloomed. This stage typically occurs in mid to late summer when the flowers are vibrant and fragrant.
Does bee balm have medicinal uses?
Bee balm leaves were used as a substitute for tea during the American Revolutionary War when black tea was scarce. Bee balm has many beneficial attributes including antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-nausea properties used to naturally support those with eczema, sore throats, cold sores, achy muscles, and congestion. Dried bee balm leaves are often used as a spice in many food dishes, tasting similar to oregano or thyme. Fresh leaves can be used to add spice to beverages and salads. Bee balm is part of the mint family. The citrus minty flavor in the flowers will enhance salads, desserts, and teas.Are Bee Balm Edible? Both the leaves and the flowers are considered edible for humans. Bee balm can even be used for tea! You can also use the leaves in salads, lemonade, cooking with meat like poultry and pork, and on pizzas as a substitute for oregano.The leaves and flowers can be eaten raw or cooked. Bee balm has a minty taste and a flavor similar to oregano. It also has a citrusy aroma. If you sip on Earl Grey tea, then bee balm tea will seem very familiar.Beebalm was used in many forms by Native Americans and early colonists, for medicinal and culinary purposes. The leaves and flowers are completely edible, and can be used fresh in salads and as a garnish, or can be made into an herbal infusion, earning it another common name: “Oswego tea”.Some people may experience skin irritation, burning, or redness after using bee balm. Though reactions are often mild, severe symptoms like facial swelling, itching, or difficulty breathing require immediate medical attention. Menstrual and Pregnancy Concerns.
Is bee balm good to eat?
Edible Delight: The leaves of bee balm are edible and can be used to add a minty flavor to salads or steeped to make a refreshing tea. The flowers can also be used as a colorful garnish. Culinary Uses: Aside from its medicinal and aromatic properties, bee balm is utilized in culinary endeavors. Bee balm is a native American plant not only known for its brightly-colored flowers and fragrant foliage. The flowers were used by North American Indians to make tea which were considered a useful treatment for colds, stomach aches, and insomnia.Medicinal Properties of Bee Balm Bee balm is antimicrobial and soothing, so it’s often used to treat colds and flu. It also has a soothing effect on the digestive tract and helps to treat indigestion, bloating and nausea.Bee Balm / Wild Bergamot This gorgeous light purple Bee Balm is native to the prairies of the Midwest. It has a lovely smell that is similar to oregano. This is a very resilient, easy-to-grow plant—the Michigan Department of Transportation often plants it along the highways.These flowers got the name ‘bee balm’ because of their former medicinal uses, including the treatment of bee stings. The entire plant above the roots is edible, and the petals can be used to make Oswego tea, which is also another common name used for this plant.
Can you make tea from bee balm flowers?
You can make tea from fresh or dried bee balm. I use the fresh flowers to make a blushing pink iced tea, but you can make tea from the fragrant leaves, as well. Start by choosing bee balm that is pesticide free. Pour boiling water over bee balm. Add sweetener, if using, to taste. Let steep for 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Should I cut off bee balm flowers?
Deadheading is not required for bee balm, but it can help encourage more prolific blooms. It may be desired with certain cultivars more than others, as some have fewer flowers to begin with than others. Bee balm can also be deadheaded when the flowers fade in mid- to late summer to prevent self-sowing and encourage plants to rebloom, but the most important time to prune is in the spring.
How to use bee balm in cooking?
The fresh leaves are wonderful scattered into a salad or sprinkled on just about anything. Mixed with a hot cup of water, the dried flower petals can make a nice tea. A pie garnished with scarlet bee balm and campanula flowers. All aerial parts of the plant can be used fresh. The tender leaves can be chopped finely and added to salads and summer vegetable dishes or made into teas and balms.