Audubon® Wild Bergamot

Butterflies and hummingbirds will be your grateful guests when you plant Wild Bergamot. Its lavender-pink summertime blooms are especially appealing to some of our largest and showiest butterflies, like giant, tiger, black, zebra, and spicebush swallowtails, monarchs, and great spangled fritillaries. You can get quite close to them for photos while they’re feeding, so absorbed are they in getting that sweet nectar! You’ll have to dodge the dive-bombing hummingbirds while you snap your photos, however. Wild Bergamot is manna to hummingbirds. They will fight over it, so plant a few patches around your property, and everyone can get their fill.

Wild Bergamot is an especially successful American wildflower; it has made itself at home throughout most of the country. Its native range includes at least parts of almost all of the lower 48 states, excluding only Florida and California. Wild Bergamot gets its name from its minty-smelling leaves. Bergamot is a citrus fruit used in flavoring Earl Grey tea; European settlers in America thought the fragrance of the wildflower they found here reminded them of the Bergamot orange grown in Italy, so they named it Wild Bergamot. They used the leaves and flowers to make a tea.

Besides enjoying visits from Hummingbirds to your Wild Bergamot, you may also look forward to visits from Hummingbird moths! These chubby little creatures look like tiny hummingbirds as they dart and hover among the blossoms, but they are, in fact, insects. Wild Bergamot is one of their favorite nectar sources.

We do the hard part. Our trees and plants are grown and cared for by only the best, local growers for years before they find their forever home in your landscape. Bower & Branch is known for having hard-to-find, substantial sizes and selection. The quality of our trees and plants are consistent in health and vigor—always ready for immediate impact in your garden and instant curb appeal. We believe in empowering homeowners with the truth about strong, healthy and structurally sound plants that are grown to perform in the ground after they leave the nursery for home delivery, always fresh inventory from the grower

Audubon is devoted to protecting birds and the places they need, while Bower & Branch is devoted to the growth of true native trees and plants–no cultivars or hybrids. Together, we strive to unite communities in conservation and inspire individuals to cultivate a better world for birds starting in their own backyards, balconies, or patios. By guiding and recommending trees and plants truly native and beneficial to your region, we can really start to make a difference.

What is the definition of Native?

“In the United States, a native plant is defined as one that was naturally found in a particular area before European colonization. Native plants are the foundation of a region’s biodiversity, providing essential food sources and shelter for birds, especially those threatened by the changing climate. Since native plants are adapted to local precipitation and soil conditions, they generally require less upkeep, therefore helping the environment and saving you time, water, and money.” – The National Audubon Society

Learn how you can help birds in your home and community through Audubon’s Plants for Birds program.

Audubon® is a licensed and registered trademark of the National Audubon Society. All rights reserved.