Practical
Plants

Ledum groenlandicum

Labrador Tea

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Ericaceae
Genus
Ledum
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
1.5 m
Spread
1.5 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

Plants contain a narcotic toxin called Ledel. This toxin only causes problems if the leaves are cooked for a long period in a closed container[5].

Edible uses

A fragrant and soothing tea is made from the leaves[9][17][20][2][5]. The spicy leaves make a very palatable and refreshing tea[7]. The North American Indians would often flavour this tea with the roots of liquorice fern, Polypodium glycyrrhiza[15]. When lemon is added they can be used as iced tea[7]. The leaves were once added to beer in order to make it heady[7]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. It would be better to brew the tea in cold water by leaving it in a sunny place, or to make sure that it is brewed for a short time only in an open container. The leaves are used as a flavouring, they are a bayleaf substitute[5].

Product or use
Condiment
Product or use
Tea

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

Labrador tea was employed medicinally by several native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints[16]. In modern herbalism it is occasionally used externally to treat a range of skin problems. The leaves are analgesic, blood purifier, diaphoretic, diuretic, pectoral and tonic[17][5][12][16]. A tea is taken internally in the treatment of headaches, asthma, colds, stomach aches, kidney ailments etc[12][16]. Externally, it is used as a wash for burns, ulcers, itches, chapped skin, stings, dandruff etc[12][13][16]. An ointment made from the powdered leaves or roots has been used to treat ulcers, cracked nipples, burns and scalds[16]. The plant is apparently a mild narcotic, it was taken by Indian women three times daily shortly before giving birth[11]

Product or use
Analgesic
Product or use
Birthing aid
Product or use
Blood purifier
Product or use
Diaphoretic
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Kidney
Product or use
Narcotic
Product or use
Pectoral
Product or use
Poultice
Product or use
Salve
Product or use
Tonic

Material uses

The leaves are hung up in the clothes cupboard in order to repel insects[17]. The branches are also placed among grain in order to keep mice away[17]. A strong decoction of the leaves, or a tincture, is used to kill lice, mosquitoes, fleas and other insects[17][11][13]. The leaves contain tannin[17]. A brown dye is obtained from the plant[16].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Insecticide
Product or use
Parasiticide
Product or use
Repellent
Product or use
Tannin

Environment

Range
Eastern and Northern N. America to Greenland. A rare garden escape in Britain.
Habitat
Cold bogs and montane coniferous woods[17][18].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
permanent shade
Water
high
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a shady part of the greenhouse in February or March[19][4]. Another report says that the seed is best sown in the autumn as soon as it is ripe[8]. Germination is variable and can be quite slow. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow the pots on in a shady frame for 18 months before planting them out into their permanent positions[19]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Plant out in spring. Fair percentage[19]. Cuttings of mature wood, November/December in a frame[4]. Layering in the autumn. Takes 12 months[19]. Division.

Cultivation

Requires a lime-free loam or peaty soil[1][3]. Prefers a moist humus-rich acid soil in shade or semi-shade[10]. Plants flower more freely when grown in a sunny position. Plants grow better if they have certain fungal associations in the soil. The best way of providing this is to incorporate some soil from around well-growing established plants into the soil for the new plant[10]. Hardy to at least -15°c[10]. The leaves and the flowers are very aromatic[6][14]. Plants benefit from removing the dead flowers before they set seed[8]. This prevents them putting too much energy into seed production at the expense of more flowers and leaves. This species is considered by some botanists to be no more than a sub-species of L. palustre[3][18]. A good bee plant[17].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-394-72811-4

    ↩

  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

    ↩1↩2

  5. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  6. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

    ↩

  7. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2

  9. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  10. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  11. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

    ↩1↩2

  12. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3

  13. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2

  14. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩

  15. Turner. N. J. Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples UBC Press. Vancouver. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7748-0533-1

    ↩

  16. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  17. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  18. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  19. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  20. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

    ↩

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