Rhododendron groenlandicum (formerly Ledum groenlandicum or Ledum latifolium[2]), known by the common names bog Labrador tea, muskeg tea, swamp tea, or in northern Canada, Hudson's Bay tea,[3] is a species of floweringshrub in the family Ericaceae. Found in northern parts of North America and Greenland,[4]R.groenlandicum grows primarily in bogs and other wetlands, which tend to be also in cold, acidic, and nutrient-poor environments. It has traditionally been used to make medicinal herbal teas among the Dene, Athabaskan, and Inuit, and other indigenous cultures of North America peoples.
It is a low shrub growing to 50cm (20in) tall – rarely up to 2m (6ft 7in) – with evergreenleaves2–6cm (3⁄4–2+3⁄8in) long and 3–15mm (1⁄8–5⁄8in) broad. The leaves are wrinkled on top with a thick waxy cuticle and have a leathery texture. The underside is covered in dense white hair that turns red-brown with age. The flowers of R. groenlandicum are small, white, and perfect (bisexual).[5] Their hemispherical clusters have up to 35 flowers with petals approximately 1 cm long. With 5 oval shaped petals it produces a sweet aroma and sticky nectar to attract pollinators.[5]
R. groenlandicum is self-compatible; however, self-fertilization results in a lower fruit set and fewer seeds per fruit “than cross-pollination”. Pollination is primarily performed by bees; however, butterflies and beetles can also act as pollinators.[6]
The plant contains toxic alkaloids which are poisonous to livestock and may be toxic to humans in concentrated doses.[9]
Harvesting
Due to the plant’s slow growth, tea leaves are collected only from multiple plants in the spring by taking one. Labrador tea is slow-growing, so only a single new leaf is collected from a plant every other year to avoid damaging the plants.[citation needed]
The leaves are regularly used to make beverages and medicines—most commonly a fragrant tea—by many Native American tribes such as the Quinault and Makah, the Potawatomi, the Anishinaabe, the Iroquois, and First Nations tribes in Canada.[9] When European explorers arrived, they soon adopted these uses as well, dubbing it "Indian plant tea".[9] During the American Revolutionary War, it was used as a substitute for tea.[9]
Rhododendron groenlandicum is sometimes grown as an ornamental shrub.[9] Its essential oil is also popular in aromatherapy.[9]
↑Kron, Kathleen Anne; Judd (1990). "Phylogenetic Relationships within the Rhodoreae (Ericaceae) with Specific Comments on the Placement of Ledum". Systematic Botany. 15 (1): 67. doi:10.2307/2419016. JSTOR2419016.
↑Niering, William A.; Olmstead, Nancy C. (1985) [1979]. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern Region. Knopf. p.502. ISBN0-394-50432-1.
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Illustration by William Miller
Specimen in Newfoundland and Labrador
Dry leaves
Underside of leaves
Leaves and buds
Close-up of flowers
