Monarda fistulosa, Bombus

Sarah Red-Laird

Bee Habitat in Cyanotype 10

Feral Farm // Gallatin Gateway, Montana

Monarda fistulosa, Wild Bergamot

Bombus, Bumble Bee  

Cyanotype, Goldleaf Paint, BGO Entomological Collection, Barnwood

Collected Summer 2022

Composed 2023

This flower was harvested from Becca Skinner’s permaculture farm in Gallatin Gateway, Montana. Though small, at just one acre, her farm is mighty. I was connected to Becca through the Women in Ranching community while I was on a road trip across the American West and Midwest, connecting with famers, ranchers, and conservationist and searching for opportunities for collaborative conservation projects.

I visited thousands of acres in the summer of 2022, and Becca’s was — without a doubt — the most productive and prolific. The amount of food that comes from her land is mind-boggling, and the beauty and bee habitat that she cultivates is next to none.

Through heatwaves and summer thunderstorms, her farm remained a refuge for not only myself and my heeler mix, Midgie, but a vast and diverse population of bees.

Learn more about Becca in this feature from Montana Woman Magazine, and visit her website here. Keep an eye on her Instagram for photos of her farm, and even possibly some upcoming permaculture workshops.

Wild bergamot is native to the US and is grows wild in every state except Alaska, California and Florida. It’s strong flavor and sweet scent not only attract a wide variety of bees, but people have been using the plant for centuries.

Wild bergamot is considered a medicinal plant by many Native Americans. The Oneida call it "Number Six", in honor of it being "the sixth medicine given by the Creator"; other nations that use it include the Menominee, the Ojibwe, and the Winnebago (Ho-Chunk).

The species of Monarda that may go under the common name "bee balm," including M. fistulosa, have a long history of use as a medicinal plant by Native Americans, including the Blackfoot. The Blackfoot recognized the plant's strong antiseptic action, and used poultices of the plant for skin infections and minor wounds. Keep reading.

Wild bergamot is non-toxic to livestock, and is often avoided by native ungulates and rabbits, due to it’s intense scent. If your find this flower on your property, avoid mowing or spraying it — and even consider propagating even more! Here are some growing tips from the Herb Society of America.