Ledum glandulosum Nutt.
Western Labrador Tea, Trapper's Tea
Ericaceae (Heath Family)
Synonym(s): Ledum glandulosum var. californicum, Ledum groenlandicum ssp. glandulosum
USDA Symbol: LEGL
A shrub with white flowers in roundish clusters at branch ends.
Labrador Tea (L. groenlandicum) is found across Canada and occurs in the West from Alaska south to the coast of Oregon; it has a rusty hue to the woolly underside of the leaf.
From the Image Gallery
Bloom InformationBloom Color: White
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr
DistributionUSA: CA , ID , MT , NV , OR , UT , WA , WY
Canada: AB , BC
Native Distribution: British Columbia and Alberta south to Sierra Nevada, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.
Native Habitat: Wet places in mountains.
Growing ConditionsWater Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Shade
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
BenefitUse Food: Leaves steeped for tea by indigenous peoples.
Warning: Plants in the genus Ledum, particularly the seeds, can be toxic. Though the leaves of a few species of Ledum have traditionally been steeped for teas, only sparing use at dilute concentrations is recommended, to avoid exposure to the andromedotoxins known to exist in this genus.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Find Seed or Plants
View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.
From the National Organizations DirectoryAccording to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
BibliographyBibref 1218 - Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources (2006) Anderson, M. Kat
Bibref 1219 - Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples: Nutrition, Botany, and Use (1991) Kuhnlein, H., & J. Turner
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Additional resourcesUSDA: Find Ledum glandulosum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Ledum glandulosum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Ledum glandulosum
MetadataRecord Modified: 2010-11-06
Research By: TWC Staff