Monarda, also known by several other names, including crimson bee balm, scarlet bee balm or bergamot, is an aromatic herb native to eastern North America, where it grows wild.  bee balm has a long history of use as a medicinal plant by many Native American peoples.  In particular, the Oswego people made the leaves into tea, giving the plant one of its common names, Oswego tea, which was later used by American colonists during the boycott of British tea.  The Panorama variety is a delightful, cultivated strain introduced more than 300 years ago and well known for brilliant shades of scarlet, crimson, red, pink and salmon.