Discovering His Creation: White Bergamot- Basil Bee Balm (Monarda clinopodia Linnaeus)

My son and I took a walk down the trail behind our house today and we made a few discoveries. We found a new wildflower White Bergamot. One I don't remember seeing around here before but it is native to my state of Alabama and to most of the Eastern United States. It is listed as endangered though in New York and New Jersey. I thought I caught sight of this before it was in bloom a while back and wondered what it might be. Checking back on this trail seems to surprise me. I didn't expect I would continue to find more to discover. White Bergamot can grow up to four feet tall. These were not that big but still a good size. It attracts butterflies and bees thus how the name Basil Bee Balm came. We didn't see any today but I will be watching occasionally to see if I can capture some pictures. It's a part of the mint family and it's leaves and flowers are edible and can be used in teas. It's said to be high in vitamins A and C and is an antiseptic. Today was full of nice discoveries. A few others I will be writing about as well. My eyes now see what was here but were hidden from my view before. May we all have eyes that see the creation God the Father has placed before us.

White Bergamot- Basil Bee Balm (Monarda clinopodia Linnaeus)

White Bergamot- Basil Bee Balm Leaf (Monarda clinopodia Linnaeus)

White Bergamot- Basil Bee Balm (Monarda clinopodia Linnaeus)

Thursday, July 3, 2014

White Bergamot- Basil Bee Balm (Monarda clinopodia Linnaeus)