Ledum palustre L. var. latifolium (Jacq.) Michx.
Rhododendron groenlandicum (Oeder) K.A. Kron & W.S. Judd
Ledum groenlandicum Oeder
Bog Labrador tea
Bog labrador tea is found in North America, Greenland, Europe, and Asia. The name “Labrador tea” refers to the brewing of a medicinal tea from this herb by the Athabaskans, among others. The Athabaskans are a large group of peoples who occupied northwestern Canada and Alaska prior to the influx of Europeans.
Plants: Low shrubs, which may be erect or lying on the ground, up to 1½′ (50 cm) in height. They have a sweet resiny scent that attracts pollinators.
Leaves: Wrinkly evergreen leaves are ¾–2 ⨉ ½–⅞″ (2–6 ⨉ 1.5–2.5 cm) in size. They have downward-curled edges, and have unusually dense white to red-brown hairs on their undersides.
Flowers: White, fragrant, ⅜–½″ (1–1.5 cm) around, with five oval petals. They occur on rounded corymbs (clusters) 1–1¾″ (3–5 cm) in diameter. Each flower has five long white stamens.
Fruits: Elongated seed capsules 1/16–3/16 ⨉ ⅛–3/16″ (3–5.5 ⨉ 4–6 mm) in size split as they dry, releasing up to 50 small seeds.
Habitats: Wet, acidic, peat-rich soils. It is often found in sphagnum bogs, swamps, and forest edges.
Edibility: Poisonous. 
Although not strongly poisonous,
plants contain ledol, which can cause cramps and paralysis.
Medical: Although several indigenous North American peoples brewed medical teas from the leaves, there are conflicting accounts as to the safety of this practice. I wouldn’t drink it.
Online References:
Ledum palustre L. ssp. groenlandicum (Oeder) Hultén
Ledum palustre L. var. latifolium (Jacq.) Michx.
Rhododendron groenlandicum (Oeder) K.A. Kron & W.S. Judd
Ledum palustre L. var. latifolium (Jacq.) Michx.
Rhododendron groenlandicum (Oeder) K.A. Kron & W.S. Judd
7/13/2015 · Mt. Mansfield, Stowe/Cambridge, Vermont · ≈ 10 × 7″ (25 × 16 cm) 
6/12/2011 · Mount Washington, ~3000', New Hampshire 
7/13/2015 · Mt. Mansfield, Stowe/Cambridge, Vermont · ≈ 7 × 7″ (18 × 18 cm) 
8/3/2025 · Saco Heath Preserve, Saco, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) 
8/9/2025 · Garcelon Bog, Lewiston, Maine · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (11 × 17 cm) 
5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 12 × 11″ (29 × 29 cm) 
9/28/2013 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 8 × 6″ (20 × 15 cm) 
The yellow-green leaves and reddish fruits are Labrador tea. · 7/13/2015 · Mt. Mansfield, Stowe/Cambridge, Vermont · ≈ 6 × 6″ (16 × 16 cm) 
8/3/2025 · Saco Heath Preserve, Saco, Maine · ≈ 4½ × 5″ (12 × 13 cm) 
8/22/2020 · Kettle Hole Bog, Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson, Maine · ≈ 2 × 2″ (5.1 × 5.5 cm) 
8/9/2025 · Garcelon Bog, Lewiston, Maine · ≈ 4 × 5″ (10 × 13 cm) 
7/13/2015 · Mt. Mansfield, Stowe/Cambridge, Vermont · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 16 cm) 
6/12/2011 · Mount Washington, ~3000', New Hampshire · By Constance B. Kent 
5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 1 × 1′ (41 × 30 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Ericales | Tea, persimmon, blueberry, Brazil nut, azalea, many others |
| Family | Ericaceae | Heath or heather family |
| Genus | Ledum | From Greek ledon, “cistus,” for the plant now known as Cistus. The relationship between these plants is not known. |
| Species | groenlandicum | Of or from Greenland |
Ledum groenlandicum description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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