CAUTION: DO NOT INGEST WITHOUT CONSULTING A TRAINED HERBALIST = This species contains very high amounts of thymol, as evidenced by tests conducted by Fritzche Brothers labs. THYMOL IN LARGE AMOUNTS CAN BE FATAL. USE THIS PLANT AT YOUR OWN RISK.  

OIL CONTENT: The Complete Technology Book of Essential Oils states that the oil was “distilled on the Gulf Coast of Florida and analyzed in the laboratories of Fritzche Brothers, Inc.”  It had a thymol (phenol) content of 71.5%.  Another test conducted in Texas showed a 61% thymol content.   They go on to state that the oil, which thymol is the main constituent of, is similar in flavor and odor to thyme.  SEE CAUTION ABOVE. 

STEVE CHRISTMAN OF FLORIDATA WRITES: "I use the leaves as a substitute for oregano." [7]
SUSAN MARYNOWSKI WRITES: "It really rocks a tomato sauce." [9]
GREEN DEANE WRITES: "Some report the leaves can use chopped up and use to flavor salads." [13] 

- Antimicrobial, powerful [8]
- Antiseptic (the thymol within it) [11 via 10]
- Backache [3,5]
- Bacteriacide (the thymol within it) [7]
- Chills [5]
- Colds [7,8,10]
- Coughs, pain relief from [2]
- Delerium, relieves a delirious patient [2]
- Diaphoretic [2,7]
- Diarrhea [10]
- Digestive aid [3]
- Fever [5,7]
- Flu [7,8]
- Fungicide (the thymol within it) [7]
- Headache [2]
- Hookworms [7]
- Kidney Disease [10]
- Menstruation, to bring on late [3]
- Neuralgia [10]
- Rheumatism [2,3]
- Stomachache [10]
- Sudorific [2]
- Vermifuge [13]
- Water Retention [3]
MEDICINAL USES OF THYMOL: Green Deane writes, "Horsemint has the highest thymol content of all the mints." [13] "Essential oils from horsemint are high in thymol, which is an effective fungicide and bactericide and also used to expel hookworms." [7] Antiseptic. [10]
INDIGENOUS MEDICINAL USES: Daniel Austinwrites in Florida Ethnobotany, "An infusion of the plant causes perspiration. Mixed with Aha Labakca [Gnaphalium obtusifolium] it relieves a delirious patient [Swanton, 1928a, Howar 1984]. The Alabama, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Creek used it to ward off rheumatism and to protect the living [Howard, 1984]. The Catawba used a leaf decoction to relieve headache [King, 1984]. The Osage used it as a sudorific and for pain relief from coughs, ." [2] "Native Americans made a tea from the leaves of spotted horsemint to treat flu, colds and fever. " [7]
OTHER MEDICINAL USES: "It increases sweating." [7] "It was historically used to treat upset stomachs, colds, diarrhea, neuralgia and kidney disease." [10] 
EXTERNAL USES: Green Deane mentions it being used as a "poultice for arthritis." [13]
THE CHESTNUT SCHOOL OF HERBAL MEDICINE WRITES: It "is a powerful anti-microbial, and cold and flu remedy (helps to clear the sinuses, break a fever and overcome infection)." [8]
DEVI PAGAN WRITES: Devi of New Moon Medicinal Gardens in Orlando writes, “This wildcrafted plant is good for rheumatism, water retention, bringing on late periods, aids digestion and relieves back ache. Very wonderful.  Blessed by Mother Nature.  Aho.” [3] 
SEE CAUTION ABOVE.
CARVACROL CONTENT: Another compound, carvacrol, is found in Horsemint. To read about it click here for Green Deane's article on Eat The Weeds. CLICK HERE 

CUT FLOWER: It makes a nice cut flower. [6]
IN SACHETS: Steve Christman of floridata mentions their use in sachets. [7]
TO SCENT A ROOM: Green Deane suggests "hanging leaves in the house leaves a nice scent." [13]
WILDLIFE: These flowers are a pollinator magnet. Some hot summer day, sit beside a clump of this native wildflower and you should be delighted to see a vast array of butterflies, wasps, beetles, and such, nectaring at the gorgeous flowers. It is of "special value to native, bumble, and honey bees." [5]  Miner and plasterer bees also visit the flowers. [13] "Among the wasps that it brings to the garden are beneficial predatory wasps that control grubs, pest caterpillars, and other harmful insects." [12 via 10] Hummingbirds also visit the flowers. 

DESCRIPTION: A highly aromatic multi-branched, herbaceous to semi-woody perennial with showy flowerspikes, often gangly. "Unlike the most familiar Monarda species that have a single flower head on a stem, Monarda punctata has flowers that are stacked up the stem with bracts radiating from the stem, under each flower." [10]  It has been described as having the scent of "fine greek oregano." [5] The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center lists it as an annual. [5]
- STEMS: Square. "The showy part of this plant is the bracts which are pink to lavender.
- LEAVES: 2-3" long. Toothed. [14]
- FLOWERS: Flowers are actually small, two-lipped [6], whitish to yellowish, with purple spots," [4] tubular, in whorls. [5] Spikes for at the end of stems with "whitish, purple-tinged, leaf-like bracts." [5] One-, two-, or more tiered, "but interrupted." [6]
- FLOWERING TIME: April to August. [5] Green Deane lists it as June to October, depending on location. [13] Native wildflower author Roger Hammer lists it from April through October. [14]
HEIGHT: 6 - 36" tall. Rarely to 4 feet. [7]
NATIVE RANGE: "Vermont to Minnesota, south to Texas, New Mexico and north to Kansas, through the east coast." [5] In Florida, it grows from near Naples to West Palm and northward. [1] In Canada, it is found in Ontario. It is found in northern Mexico. [10]
HABITAT: "Prairie, plains, meadows, pastures, savannahs." [5] Coastal berms, roadsides. "It favors edges of forests bisected by roadways and trails." [14] 
ETYMOLOGY: Monarda "commemorates the Spanish (Seville) physician (and botanist) Nicolas Bautista Monardes, ca. 1493-1578/?88." [1,5,6] The specific epithet, punctata, mean dotted or spotted.
HISTORY: Daniel Austin writes, "Swanton [1928a] found the Creeks using horsemint, and the plant is still used in Oklahoma [Howard, 1984]." [2]
CULTIVARS: Roger Hammer tells us that there are "several named cultivars in the nursery trade." [14] 

CULTURE: ---
USDA ZONES: North to zone 3. [6] North to zone 5 according to floridata.com. [7] 

LIGHT: Full sun. Tolerates part shade. [6]
SOIL: Dry, sandy. [5]
SOIL pH: 6.8 - 7.2 [5]
SOIL MOISTURE: Dry.
DROUGHT TOLERANCE: High. "But summer watering can keep plants fresh and blooming longer." [5]
SALT SPRAY TOLERANCE: Very tolerant of salt spray. [7]
CONTAINERS: Does well in containers. [6]
PROPAGATION: By seed "sown in situ or in pots and transplanted to sandy, well-drained soil." [5] "Easily propagated from untreated seed sown in fall or stratified seed sown in spring." [5] Collect seed from September to October. [5] Also, "by cuttings of young foliage." [5] Also, by clump division.
NOTE: It "can become aggressive." [5]
RELATED SPECIES: One other Monarda species grows wild here in Florida, Monarda citriodora, the non-native Lemon Beebalm. It has only been reported from Alachua and Levy counties.