Bergamot (Monarda didyma) is a North American aromatic herb also known as Scarlet Monarda, Oswego Tea, or Bee Balm.
Its name is derived from its odour which is considered similar to that of the bergamot orange. The scientific name comes from Nicolas Monardes who wrote the first American flora in 1569.
The name Oswego Tea comes from the Oswego Indians who taught the immigrants how to use it for tea after the Boston tea party in 1773.
The bergamot herb is not the source of bergamot oil, used to flavor Earl Grey tea; that comes from the bergamot orange, a Mediterranean citrus fruit.
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