Labrador Tea (Ledum groenlandicum)

At a glance

Lifecycle: Perennial (hardy)
Exposure: Full sun

Cultivation

Requires a lime-free loam or peaty soil. Hardy to at least -15°c. The leaves and the flowers are very aromatic. Plants benefit from removing the dead flowers before they set seed. 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. A good bee plant.

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a shady part of the greenhouse in February or March. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Plant out in spring. Fair percentage. Cuttings of mature wood, November/December in a frame. Layering in the autumn. Takes 12 months. Division.

Edible uses

A fragrant and soothing tea is made from the leaves. 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.

Medicinal uses

Labrador tea was employed medicinally by several native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints. 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. The plant is apparently a mild narcotic, it was taken by Indian women three times daily shortly before giving birth

Material uses

The leaves are hung up in the clothes cupboard in order to repel insects. The leaves contain tannin. A brown dye is obtained from the plant.