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Ledum groenlandicum

Labrador Tea

At a Glance: Evergreen, branching shrub with rusty-hairy leaf undersides and white flowers.

Height: Up to 5 feet (1.5 meters).
Growth Form: Shrub.
Leaves: Alternate, narrow, often drooping; margins rolled under; leathery, deep-green above, with dense, rusty hairs beneath (hairs on young leaves may not be rusty); size: 6 cm (2.5 in) long.
Flowers: White, with protruding stamens, small; numerous, in short umbrella-like clusters; shape: saucer.
Flowering Period: May, June, July.
Fruits: Drooping cluster of 5 part, dry, hairy capsules; color: grey-green.


Photo © Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: OBL (obligate wetland)	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value

(data not available)

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Medicinal Uses: The tea is said to be relaxing and can cause drowsiness.
Food Uses: Leaves, fresh or dried, can be used to make a sweet smelling tea that may have medicinal purposes.
Interesting Facts: The tea can be a strong diuretic or cathartic if taken in excess.

Suggested References

Cooke, S.S. A Field Guide to the Common Wetland Plants of Western Washington and Northwetern Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society and Washington Native Plant Society. Page 37.
Gunther, E. 1973. 2nd ed. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. University of Washington Press. Page 43.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 345.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 126.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 219.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 124.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 66.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.