Labrador tea
Labrador tea is a common name for three closely related plant species in the genus Rhododendron as well as a herbal tea made from their leaves.
All three species are primarily wetland plants in the heath family. The herbal tea has been a favorite beverage among Athabaskan First Nations and Inuit.
Description
All three species used to make Labrador tea are low, slow-growing shrubs with evergreen leaves:
- Rhododendron tomentosum (northern Labrador tea, previously Ledum palustre),
- Rhododendron groenlandicum, (bog Labrador tea, previously Ledum groenlandicum or Ledum latifolium) and
- Rhododendron neoglandulosum, (western Labrador tea, or trapper's tea, previously Ledum glandulosum or Ledum columbianum).
The leaves are smooth on top with often wrinkled edges, and fuzzy white to red-brown underneath.[1]
R. tomentosum, R. groenlandicum, and R. neoglandulosum can be found in wetlands and peat bogs.[1]
Uses
The Athabaskans and other indigenous peoples brew the leaves as a beverage.
During the eighteenth century, German brewers used R. tomentosum while brewing beer to make it more intoxicating, but it became forbidden because it led to increased aggression.[1]
Toxicology
There is no sufficient data that demonstrates Labrador tea is safe to consume as toxicity varies across species and localities. Excessive consumption is not recommended due to diuresis, vomiting, dizziness, and drowsiness.[1] Large doses can lead to cramps, convulsions, paralysis, and, in rare cases, death.[1]
Toxicity occurs due to
Harvesting
Labrador tea is slow-growing, so new single leaves are collected in spring from multiple plants to avoid damaging individual plants every other year.[1]