Fun Fact Friday

Welcome back to "Fun Fact Friday". This is our weekly post that gives short fun facts about everything gardening.

This week's Fun Fact is about the Florida Native Spotted Bee Balm aka Dotted Horsemint - Monarda punctata. Did you know that Bee Balm is edible and is thought to have medicinal properties? It contains a substance called thymol which is also present in oregano and you guessed it.... thyme! It is my understanding that Bee Balm contains a very high concentration of thymol when compared to oregano and thyme. So if you are going to use it as a substitute, you may need to reduce the amount the recipe calls for.

Spotted Bee Balm Monarda punctata. Photo taken by FOL in There Serene Forest

Thymol also has antibacterial activity. Essential oils made from Bee Balm are thought to have enough therapeutic effect that it can be used to help manage minor infections. There are other medicinal properties to Bee Balm. But, I do not want dig into the details in this post.

Now you know!!!

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See you..............