Rain Garden Plants: Wild Bergamot

Clump-forming member of the mint family. Terminal flower clusters consist of two-lipped, tubular flowers. Has greenish-gray, toothed leaves with fine hairs. Leaves are opposite each other, oblong, and aromatic. Stems are square. Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, and hummingbirds. Is a host plant for the hermit sphinx moth. Has medium drought tolerance and is heat tolerant. Tolerates black walnut and is resistant to damage from deer and rabbits.

Height: 24 to 60 inches
Bloom color: White, pink, purple
Bloom time: June to July
Hardiness zone: 3 to 9
Salt tolerance: Not tolerant
Spreading habit: Colonizes by rhizomes

Site Conditions

Sun: Sun
Soil: Acidic to alkaline soil with sandy to clay soils
Hydrologic zone: Moist/dry, not tolerant of inundation

Sources

North Carolina Extension

Missouri Department of Conservation

Prepared by Jodi Sulpizio, Jessica Chou, and Constance Schmotzer.

Seed Head in Late Fall/Winter; Photo by Jodi Sulpizio, Penn State Extension