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Definition of Bee balm
1. Noun. Perennial herb of North America.
2. Noun. Perennial aromatic herb of eastern North America having variously colored tubular flowers in dense showy heads.
Generic synonyms: Monarda, Wild Bergamot
3. Noun. Bushy perennial Old World mint having small white or yellowish flowers and fragrant lemon-flavored leaves; a garden escapee in northern Europe and North America.
Terms within: Lemon Balm
Generic synonyms: Herb, Herbaceous Plant
Group relationships: Genus Melissa, Melissa
Definition of Bee balm
1. Noun. The aromatic plant ''Monarda punctata'', native to North America, also called Bergamot (but not the same species as ''Citrus bergamina'' used to flavor Earl Grey Tea though similar in scent). Referred to as Bee Balm because bees are attracted to the blossoms which are rich in nectar. In America it is also known as ''Oswego tea''. ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Lexicographical Neighbors of Bee Balm
Literary usage of Bee balm
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. Nature's Garden: An Aid to Knowledge of Our Wild Flowers and Their Insect by Neltje Blanchan (1907)
"Gorgeous, glowing scarlet heads of bee balm arrest the dullest eye, ... 144),
the bee balm belies its name, for, however frequently bees may come about for ..."
2. How to Know the Wild Flowers: A Guide to the Names, Haunts, and Habits of by Frances Theodora Parsons (1895)
"The bee balm especially haunts these cool nooks, and its rounded flower-clusters
touch with warmth the shadows of the damp woods of midsummer. ..."
3. Roman Farm Management: The Treatises of Cato and Varro by Marcus Porcius Cato, Marcus Terentius Varro (1913)
"... is different from both honey and propolis: it is supposed to have a quality
of attraction for bees and is accordingly mixed with bee balm and smeared on ..."
4. Nature's Garden: An Aid to Knowledge of Our Wild Flowers and Their Insect by Neltje Blanchan (1900)
"Gorgeous, glowing scarlet heads of bee balm arrest tne dullest eye, ... 144),
the bee balm belies its name, for, however frequently bees may come about for ..."