Labrador Tea (Ledum groenlandicum)

This text was originally published in Coastal Grower (formerly The Island Grower) in Victoria, British Columbia. For subscription information, please call Susanne Steele at the Coastal Grower at 250-478-0825.

British Columbia's flora contains numerous aromatic shrubs. Many, such as the mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii) produce aromatic flowers. Others are better known for their scented leaves. Labrador tea or Hudson's Bay tea of the Heather Family (Ericaceae) is probably the most widely known of these, particularly because historically it served as one of our most important tea plants.

Labrador tea grows into a medium-sized many-stemmed shrub. Height varies from site to site; at the edge of the bogs in the Lower Mainland some bushes reach 2m tall, whereas in Interior bogs they scarcely attain 0.5m tall. Whorls of narrow leathery leaves crowd the upper ends of the branches. The top side of the 2.5-6 cm (1-2.4") long, deep green leaves is smooth, whereas the lower surface is densely clothed in woolly white to rusty orange hairs. Leaf edges curl under distinctly. Small leaves, woolly covering and curled leaves combine help Labrador tea conserve water. This shrub does grow in wet places, but the high acidity of the water makes it difficult to absorb.

Clusters of bright white flowers burst from large scaly buds at the end of the branches as early as May in the south and as late as August in the north. Flowers last several weeks. Each flower is only about 1 cm (0.4 ") across. Five small rounded petals surround a mass of 5-10 stamens and a single 5-chambered pistil. A dry capsule forms after insects pollinate the flower, and eventually releases tiny light seeds. Woolly new leaves quickly replace the finished flower.

Labrador tea revels in wet acid habitats especially bogs where peat moss (Sphagnum) grows. You can find it in swamps and moist conifer forests throughout British Columbia. Further north, Labrador tea shrubs populate acid mountain meadows too. The geographic range covers all of northern North America including Greenland, as far south as Oregon on the Pacific coast.

The aromatic leaves of Labrador had many uses for Native and non-Native peoples of British Columbia. It was, and in some regions still is, particularly important as a tea plant. Throughout British Columbia and Canada, Native people traditionally prepared tea by steeping leaves for 5-10 minutes in hot water, or boiling them until the water turned light brown. Haida people liked their tea extra strong so they left the leaves boiling on the stove for several days, adding water when necessary. Fresh new-growth leaves tend to yield a more delicate tea without loose brown hairs floating in it.

Apparently tea was also prepared from the closely related glandular Labrador tea (Ledum glandulosum). However botanists note that this plant not only produces a stronger tea but that the tea may be slightly poisonous. The leaves of glandular Labrador tea are smooth beneath, not hairy as in Labrador tea. Other uses included laying Labrador tea among corn too keep away mice, putting it in closets to protect against moths and using it in bedrooms to deter fleas.

Labrador tea makes an excellent garden shrub for a moist acid site. It is particularly adaptable to many coastal and moist Interior gardens. Obtain plants through your neighbourhood garden centre or nursery; they will likely order it from a specialist nursery. You can also grow it from seed sown on a moist peaty soil or peat pellets in the fall or spring. Root-crown division or layering will often work too. Prepare a peat-rich or humus-rich soil or choose a peaty site. Plant the shrub deeply in the soil and water in well. As long as you prevent the soil from drying out, your Labrador tea will thrive; it grows slowly and needs little maintenance. With regular summer watering, Labrador tea plants at the Royal B.C. Museum thrive in the dry climate of downtown Victoria.

The name Ledum originates in an ancient Greek plant name ledon for a species of rock rose (Cistus). The species groenlandicum means 'of Greenland'. Recently studies of the genetic material (DNA) of Labrador tea strongly suggest that it could be considered a rhododendron, but this concept has yet to be widely accepted.

Looking for a native tea plant, then try growing Labrador tea. It makes an attractive shrub for a moist acid spot in almost any part of British Columbia.

For more information on native shrubs and tea plants contact Richard Hebda at the Royal British Columbia Museum.