| Description | A common, medium to tall growing native prairie plant. A member of the mint family. |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | All Plants, Wild Flowers |
| Hardiness Zone | cold hardy to atleast zone #5 |
| Sunlight | refers full, tolerates some shade |
| Moisture | average |
| Soil & Site | dry to moist |
| Flowers | The pale lavender flowers form a dense rounded head on the top of the stem. The tubular corollas are inside of a whorl of leafy bracts. Flying insects that can reach the nectar deep in the floral tubes pollinates it. Blooms July and August |
| Leaves | opposite leaves that are sharply toothed, scented foliage from the oil of Beaumont |
| Stems | square erect, hairy |
| Roots | fibrous |
| Dimensions | Grows up to 5 feet, spreads by rhizomes and can form dense clumps. Needs competition or drier soils to control the spread. The center tends to die out. |
| Maintenance | Will develop powdery mildew late in the summer. At this time cut the plant back. It will quickly regrow. |
| Propagation | seeds, division |
| Misc Facts | Named after Nicolas Monardes, a 16th century Spanish physician and horticulturist. Bergamont tea is made from this plant. This drink has many medicinal uses. Fistulosa means "full of pipes". referring to the tubular flower parts. |
| Author's Notes | In the prairies that I visit this is a common plant around southeastern Wisconsin USA. |
| Notes & Reference | #09-The Prairie Garden (J. Robert Smith with Beatrice Smith), #14-Hedge maids and Fairy Candles (Jack Sanders), #55-The Garden Book for Wisconsin (Melinda Myers) |
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