Consider-the-Lilies Web Gallery
Wild Bergamot
One cool, rainy day in May, as I worked my way along the base of a limestone outcropping on the shoulder of the Blue Ridge Parkway, l came across this colony of erect plants displaying pastel lavender flowers.
Not completely certain of the identity of this lily, I moved in closer and, brushing against the foliage as I positioned my tripod, was immediately aware of a pleasant fragrance. Although I didn't know which species I had encountered, my nose told me without a doubt in which botanic family I would find this new lily.
This native perennial is a member of the Mint family (Lamiaceae).
Wild Bergamot, also known by the common names, Eastern Beebalm and Horsemint is a most interesting herb, which appeals to both the visual and olfactory senses.
Beyond its pleasant scent and colorful blossoms, it is a most useful lily, highly prized by several American Indian tribes, and subsequently, the colonists, as an edible and medicinal herb; it is still valued in alternative medicine to this day.
The blossom is composed of multiple florets that open a few at a time. The long tubes of the florets limit access to the nectar—and the pollen—to such long-tongued visitors as butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds.
Here is a combination of two of the three in one creature: the Hummingbird Moth (Hemaris diffinis).
An unusual moth in that it is not nocturnal, it beats its wings rapidly very much like its namesake, and hovers over each floret without actually landing on the blossom.
All in all, I felt blessed to encounter two fascinating floral and faunal lilies that cool, rainy day in May!
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