Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
July 30, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
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Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Field Notes • Botany

Bergamot

Bergamot is a common name used for several plants, most often the citrus tree *Citrus bergamia* and the North American mint-family herb *Monarda fistulosa* (wild bergamot).

Updated July 30, 20261 min readCited sources

Bergamot is a common name for several aromatic plants, most notably the citrus tree *Citrus bergamia* and the North American herb wild bergamot (*Monarda fistulosa*). It is widely used in tea, flavouring, perfumes, and herbal preparations.

What it is

The name bergamot refers to two main plants: *Citrus bergamia*, an evergreen citrus tree native to southern Italy, and wild bergamot (*Monarda fistulosa*), a perennial herb in the mint family native to North America. Both are valued for their strong, pleasant aromas.

Key details

*Citrus bergamia* produces a bitter fruit whose peel oil flavours Earl Grey tea and is used in perfumes. Wild bergamot has showy pink to lavender flowers and leaves that smell minty, spicy, or oregano-like. It is also a popular pollinator plant in Canadian gardens.

Why it matters

Bergamot is a versatile plant group with uses in food, fragrance, and herbal traditions. In Canada, wild bergamot is especially valued for native-plant gardening, supporting bees and butterflies, and for herbal tea made from its leaves.

In short

  • Bergamot is not a single species; it includes a citrus tree and a mint-family herb.
  • Citrus bergamia flavours Earl Grey tea and is used in perfumes.
  • Wild bergamot is native to North America and supports pollinators.
  • Both plants are aromatic but have different scents and uses.
Canadian angle

Wild bergamot (*Monarda fistulosa*) is native to North America and is widely used in Canadian native-plant gardening, pollinator plantings, and herbal tea traditions.

Quick questions

What is bergamot?
Bergamot is a common name for aromatic plants, especially the citrus tree *Citrus bergamia* and the herb wild bergamot (*Monarda fistulosa*).
What is bergamot used for?
It is used in Earl Grey tea, perfumes, soaps, marmalade, liqueurs, herbal tea, ornamental gardening, and pollinator plantings.
What does bergamot smell like?
Citrus bergamia smells citrusy and floral, while wild bergamot is often described as minty, spicy, or oregano-like.

Sources

  1. Prairie Nursery — https://www.prairienursery.com/bergamot-monarda-fistulosa.html
    Supports: Wild bergamot as a native mint-family plant; aromatic leaves; tea use; pollinator value
  2. Native Plant Database (University of Texas at Austin / Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center) — https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=mofi
    Supports: Wild bergamot description, aromatic leaves, tea use, fragrance, and ornamental value
  3. Missouri Department of Conservation — https://www.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/wild-bergamot
    Supports: Wild bergamot scent description, culinary/herbal use, and relation to bergamot orange
  4. NC State University Plant Toolbox — https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/citrus-x-aurantium/common-name/bergamot/
    Supports: Bergamot citrus as a plant grown for marmalades, liquors, skincare, and fragrance uses
  5. NC State University Plant Toolbox — https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/monarda-fistulosa/
    Supports: Wild bergamot as an herbaceous perennial in the mint family
  6. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarda_didyma
    Supports: Bergamot as a common name for *Monarda didyma* and related aromatic herb naming