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Bee balm is definitely a plant that pollinators of all kinds adore and while that is reason enough to have it in the herb garden it is also full of tasty and medicinal uses for us as well. If you want to get creative with this beautiful perennial try these 5 ways to use bee balm.
Before Using Fresh Bee Balm
Wash and dry leaves well. Soak the flowers for a bit to float out any insects that might be hidden inside.
1. Bee Balm Jelly
Bee balm jelly is essentially just bee balm petal tea with sugar and pectin. It’s lovely in the jar and carries a light honey flavor with minty undertones. It’s delightful with cream cheese or simply spread on toast. Makes a great gift.
2. Dried for Tea
Bee balm has traditionally been used to relieve nausea, vomiting, and flatulence. Keep it on hand for these digestive issues by drying it. Dehydrate by tying bunches of the stems upside down and hanging in a dark space until crispy. When dry strip the leaves and blossoms from the stems and store in labeled glass jars.
To make tea: Cover 1 teaspoon of dried leaves and/or flowers with 1 Cup of boiling water. Steep for 15 minutes before straining and enjoying.
Besides the medicinal benefits, the tea is just plain tasty on a cold winter night.
3. Oxymel for Cold Relief
Bee balm is antimicrobial making it useful for helping aid the body heal from colds, congestion, and sore throats. An oxymel is basically an herb infused into a mixture of vinegar and honey. It’s easy and tasty.
4. Healing Salve
As an antifungal and antimicrobial, bee balm makes the ideal base for a healing salve.
5. Tincture
Bee balm can act as a nervine and is helpful to folks dealing with anxiety and depression. Make a tincture by filling a jar 3/4 full with fresh bee balm and then covering it with vodka. Let steep for 1 month before straining and storing.
To use the tincture: Take 1 teaspoon in 8 ounces of water up to 3 times a day.
Who Should Avoid Bee Balm
Bee balm can interfere with certain thyroid medications, so be sure to ask a doctor if you’re taking one before using bee balm internally or externally. It can also be an issue for some pregnancies, check with an herbalist or doctor first before using if you are or might be expecting.
This covers just some of the many ways to use bee balm, so get out there and harvest some for your home. Do leave some for the bumblebees and other pollinators, too, please!
This is WONDERFUL!! I bought a bee balm plant last year and this year it just flourished and bloomed!! It has to be 3 or 4 feet tall and all the flowers are different colors! I just love it!! Thank you for all the great ideas on how to use it! I think I’ll leave this plant for the bees and next year harvest from the one that I have started from seed this year! How exciting!
I’m so glad to know this was useful to you. Enjoy those blooms!
I grow a ton of bee balm since the bees adore it. The purple flower is less likely to get powdery mildew. My pink ones have a ton of mildew on them. I dry and sell the plant and flowers. Originally, the colonists used the leaves as tea.
The flower stays try to its color so it makes a nice potpourri too.
I’ve just been reading about bee balm, and the article said that, to avoid mildew, do not plant in dry soil. It also said that the varieties M. ‘Garden view scarlet’, ‘Marshall’s Delight’, ‘Sunset’ and ‘Violet Queen’ are more resistat to mildew. I’m in England, so I don’t know if those varieties are available elsewhere.
For the tincture do you sue the flower or the leaves? Thanks
You can use both for a tincture.
What is the latin name please?
Monarda
Just want to thank you for sharing info on Monarda :)
Thank you for saying so!
Can it help with pregnancy nausea?
I can’t say with 100% confidence, I would think mint or ginger might be a better option for that but check with a local herbalist.
Lemon Essential oil usually relieves pregnancy nausea. Place a drop on a cotton ball and inhale deeply three or four times…or as much as you need.
What is the healing salve recipe?
Love this information, thank you! I just bought the plant and trying to search and learn how to use it.
You can find my healing salve recipe here: https://homespunseasonalliving.com/how-to-make-healing-salve/
Does it matter whether the flowers and leaves are fresh or dry for an oxymel?
It is usually done with fresh. However, if you’re going to use dried, use 1/3 less than fresh (so if you were using 1 Cup of fresh flowers use 2/3 cup of dried.
For the bee balm salve do you use the flower petals or leaves of the plant?
Both leaves and flowers.
Will it come back if I harvest the flower & leaves?
Yes, it regenerates from the roots. Don’t harvest 100% either to keep the plant healthy – I always recommend harvesting lightly for the health of the plant.
Bee Balm grows naturally on our property . I’ve just started learning about Herbs and natural remedies. I’m so excited to learn more! I’ve just gone and harvested some of the Bee Balm and will use it in many of these great ideas. Thank you!
my people (Kiowa, also other plains tribes ) have always used the dried blooms sewn into hems of our clothing to keep away mosquitoes works good too.
Thank you so much for sharing this info! I’m so tickled to know and can’t wait to try it.