All plants /Ground /Lemon Beebalm
Lemon Beebalm
Monarda citriodora, mint family. Common in Central and East and West Texas.
At a glance
- What
- Leaves and flowers
- How
- Fresh or dried as tea and seasoning
- When
- Late spring into summer
- Where
- Prairies, roadsides, open fields
- Value
- Aromatic; oregano-thyme notes
Caution: A well-known safe mint-family herb; simply confirm the square stem and minty aroma. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Identification
Whorls of pink-lavender flowers stack up the square stem, and the crushed leaves smell of citrus, oregano, and thyme.
Uses
A bright herbal tea and a fine wild seasoning for beans and meat; the flowers are edible too.
Photo: Nadiatalent, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.