bee balm
Americannoun
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Also called Oswego tea. a wildflower, Monarda didyma, of the mint family, having thin, lance-shaped leaves and white, salmon, or intensely red flowers, growing along streams in temperate forests and widely cultivated in gardens.
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a plant, Melissa officinalis, having broad, opposite, serrated leaves and tight clusters of white, lemon-scented flowers that attract bees.
Etymology
Origin of bee balm
An Americanism dating back to 1840–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Many Native Americans consider bee balm a medicinal plant.
From Salon ● Jan. 31, 2024
Lavender blooms sideways, reaching out for the sun from under a patch of red raspberries that grow rampant along with a smattering of purple-budded weeds, day lilies, black-eyed Susans, bee balm, lamb’s ear, irises.
From New York Times ● Mar. 25, 2022
In addition to mint, stem cuttings of coleus, salvia, bee balm and catnip, all members of the vast mint family, are satisfying for beginning propagators.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 12, 2022
“I told him I wanted flowers every day of the year,” vanEngelsdorp said, but mainly what he insisted on were native plants: spiderwort, aster, bee balm.
From Washington Post ● May 22, 2020
The bee balm, one of our handsomest perennials, has bright red whorls; it spreads upon the surface of the ground like mint, and thus may be divided and increased to any extent.
From Scientific American Supplement, No. 299, September 24, 1881 by Various
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