Loddiges 534 Ledum latifolium drawn by W Miller

Labrador tea is a common name for three closely related plant species in the genus ''

Rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nativ ...

'' as well as an

herbal tea Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term ...

made from their leaves. All three species are primarily wetland plants in the

heath family The Ericaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the heath or heather family, found most commonly in acidic and infertile growing conditions. The family is large, with c.4250 known species spread across 124 genera, making it th ...

. The

has been a favorite beverage among Athabaskan

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: ** First Nat ...

and

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, ...

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 ''Rhododendron columbianum'', commonly known as western Labrador tea, swamp tea, or muskeg tea, is a shrub that is widespread in the western United States and in western Canada, reported from British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, ...

'', (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. ''R. tomentosum'', ''R. groenlandicum'', and ''R. neoglandulosum'' can be found in wetlands and peat bogs.

Uses

The Athabaskans and other indigenous peoples brew the leaves as a beverage. The

Pomo The Pomo are an Indigenous people of California. Historical Pomo territory in Northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point. One small gr ...

, Kashaya,

Tolowa The Tolowa people or Taa-laa-wa Dee-ni’ are a Native American people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethno-linguistic group. Two rancherias (Smith River and Elk Valley) still reside in their traditional territory in northwestern California. Tho ...

and

Yurok The Yurok (Karuk language: Yurúkvaarar / Yuru Kyara - "downriver Indian; i.e. Yurok Indian") are an Indigenous people from along the Klamath River and Pacific coast, whose homelands are located in present-day California stretching from Trinidad ...

Northern California Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...

boil the leaves of western Labrador tea similarly, to make a medicinal herbal tea to help with coughs and colds.Native American Ethnobotany Database for Ledum glandulosum
/ref> Botanical extracts from the leaves have been used to create natural skin care products by companies in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. Others use Labrador tea to spice meat by boiling the leaves and branches in water and then soaking the meat in the

decoction Decoction is a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material (which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes) to dissolve the chemicals of the material. It is the most common preparation method in various herbal-medicine systems. De ...

. 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.

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. Large doses can lead to cramps, convulsions, paralysis, and, in rare cases, death. Toxicity occurs due to

terpenoid The terpenoids, also known as isoprenoids, are a class of naturally occurring organic chemicals derived from the 5-carbon compound isoprene and its derivatives called terpenes, diterpenes, etc. While sometimes used interchangeably with "terpenes ...

ledol found in all Labrador tea species. ''R. groenlandicum'' has the lowest toxicity due to lower levels of ledol. Grayanotoxins are also present, but few lethal human cases of poisoning due to grayanotoxins in Labrador tea have been documented. However, lethal poisonings have been documented in livestock.

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.

References

{{Herbal teas Herbal tea Inuit cuisine Plant common names Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Plants used in Native American cuisine