Monarda fistulosa, the wild bergamot or bee balm,[3] is a wildflower in the mint family Lamiaceae, widespread and abundant as a native plant in much of North America.

[6] Monarda fistulosa ranges from Quebec to the Northwest Territories and British Columbia, south to Georgia, Texas, Arizona, Idaho, and northeastern Washington.

It can have thymol, geraniol, carvacrol, p-cymene, γ-terpinene, α-terpinene, and α-thujene in different amounts with the exact cause of this variability still being researched, though environmental and genetic factors probably both play a role.

Varieties include: One authority states that Native Americans recognized four kinds of wild bergamot that had different odors (Wood, 1997).

The Oneida call it "Number Six", in honor of it being "the sixth medicine given by the Creator";[22] other nations that use it include the Menominee, the Ojibwe, and the Winnebago (Ho-Chunk).

[citation needed] A tea made from the plant was also used to treat mouth and throat infections caused by dental caries and gingivitis.

[citation needed] Bee balm is the natural source of the antiseptic thymol, the primary active ingredient in modern commercial mouthwash formulas.