Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum

Labrador tea

Labrador tea, of the Ericaceae or heath family (related to the blueberry) is a representative boreal shrub. Its distribution range is Nordic and general, but it grows mainly in damp climates and on peatland. Its height varies between 30 and 120 centimetres (1 and 4 ft.).

Its distinctive feature is the lingering fragrance of its leaves, which, when crushed, are used to make tea, hence its common name: Labrador tea. American Indians have been boiling up Labrador tea leaves for many years, which they then drink as a tisane, said to have medicinal properties.