bee balm

noun

1. Also called Oswego tea. a wildflower, Monarda didyma, of the mint family, having thin, lance-shaped leaves and white, salmon, or intensely red flowers, growing along streams in temperate forests and widely cultivated in gardens.
2. a plant, Melissa officinalis, having broad, opposite, serrated leaves and tight clusters of white, lemon-scented flowers that attract bees.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bee balm¹

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

Many Native Americans consider bee balm a medicinal plant.

From Salon

Perhaps it was the scarlet bee balm that drew hummingbirds in darting, whirring droves.

From New York Times

Aromatic lilies, lavender and bee balm fill the air with sweet scent in summer, while witch hazel, daphne and other flowering shrubs provide fragrance in quieter seasons.

From Seattle Times

Perlut’s team planted bee balm, marigolds, spotted geraniums, lavender, sweet fern and citronella around the edge of the barrels, with cherry tomatoes and basil in the middle.

From Washington Post

Lavender blooms sideways, reaching out for the sun from under a patch of red raspberries that grow rampant along with a smattering of purple-budded weeds, day lilies, black-eyed Susans, bee balm, lamb’s ear, irises.

From New York Times