Oswego Tea

Also known as bee balm, the Native Americans understood that this is a potent flower.

Oswego Tea: rub it on, chew it, drink it. It's all good.

They used it as an antiseptic to treat infections and wounds, took it for headaches and fevers, and believed that brewing it as a tea would ease flatulence. Perhaps I will give that a try.

When I was trying to shoot this a hummingbird buzzed down and lighted briefly on one of the nearby flowers. She saw me and bolted — before I could take a picture — off to find a less crowded spot in the neighborhood.

2 thoughts on “Oswego Tea

  1. PLEASE tell me it’s for the headaches and fevers..
    PS- I’ve just started using local honey; I don’t know if it’s the hype or what, but my allergies seem to be lessening..

    1. Worth a try… don’t let the neighbors catch you clipping their flowers!

      I’ve heard that about the local honey; fascinating.

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