Scientific name: Rhododendron groenlandicum
Synonym: Ledum groenlandicum
Family: ERICACEAE
Common names: “Labrador tea”
Plant Type: Evergreen shrub
Conditions:
Zone: 3-8
Light: Full sun – part shade
Exposure: Exposed or sheltered
Soil: Acidic humus rich
Moisture: Moist- wet well drained
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: 5′ H & W
Leaf and Stem shape: Young twigs are covered with woolly white hairs that turn cinnamon-brown they mature, and alternate, simple leaves, fragrant when crushed
Flower: Hermaphroditic flowers occur in groups of showy rounded terminal inflorescences
Pruning: Minimal
Maintenance: Low, can be deadheaded or left alone
Landscape use: Bog gardens, wetlands, native garden, herb garden
Propagate: By seed and cuttings
Pests & Disease: Nothing serious
Comments: North American native, fresh or dried leaves used as a to make tea by first nations and settlers, sometimes combined with licorice fern rhizome, the tea was used as a medicine for colds and sore throats
