The Oswego Indians of New York taught the colonists how to use Bee balm to make a pungent tea that could treat colic, stomach ache, intestinal worms and several other conditions. A weaker version of the drink became commonly used after the Boston Tea Party. Both the tea and the plant were known as “Oswego tea.” Seeds of the plant were sent from Philadelphia to England in about 1744, where it was introduced and used as a substitute for tea from Asia. It then spread to continental Europe where it was sometimes called “Indian nettle.” Like thyme, M. fistulosa (wild bergamot) is taller and has lavender colored

Part used::
Aerial parts

Origin:
America

Hull, Kathleen; Photog. Hull, Meredith /Indiana Medical History Museum: Guide to the Medicinal Plant Garden./ USA: Indiana Medical History Museum. 2010. -- p. 58.