Wild bergamot is a member of the mint family that is native to a wide range of North America. It thrives in sunny locations with moderate to dryish soils and with little or no cultivation or attention. Wild bergamot has minty scented leaves and lavender, pink or white flowers that are attractive to pollinators. In an evaluation at the Chicago Botanic Garden, wild bergamot had 2-inch flowers covering 80 to 100 percent of the plant in mid-summer. It showed very poor susceptibility to mildew, leading to a overall poor evaluation for planting in the Chicagoland area. In order to minimize mildew issues, pay attention to proper spacing of plants for air circulation, keep plants moist during droughts, and cut back after flowering.