Monarda fistulosa
An aromatic and tasty native beauty.
In mid summer, this native wildflower graces the landscape with its light lavender blossoms, offering nectar to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. To humans, Wild Bergamot provides food and medicine. Its leaves and flowers are highly aromatic and spicy, like Greek oregano, and are used similarly. Sip teas made from the leaves and flowers, or add them to sauces, soups, and salads. Make tinctures to support the upper respiratory system. Or, most simply, toss the lovely tubular flowers onto any dish.
The Package
Each year, Hudson Valley Seeds commissions contemporary artists from around the United States to tell the story of a particular seed variety. That art and those seeds combine to create an Art Pack, a unique celebration of the diverse stories of seeds and their stewards.
The Artist
Art by Wendy Hollender. A botanical illustrator, Wendy crafts beautiful colored-pencil and watercolor renderings of plants of all typesââ¬âand teaches others how to do the same. With herbalist Dina Falconi, she created Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook.
