| 1. | Also called Oswego tea. a wildflower, Monarda didyma, of the mint family, having thin, lance-shaped leaves and white, salmon, or intensely red flowers, growing along streams in temperate forests and widely cultivated in gardens. |
| 2. | a plant, Melissa officinalis, having broad, opposite, serrated leaves and tight clusters of white, lemon-scented flowers that attract bees. |
| bee balm n. An aromatic eastern North American herb (Monarda didyma) in the mint family, having variously colored, tubular bilabiate flowers grouped in dense showy heads. Also called bergamot. |