Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum)
  
Also known as: Ledum groenlandicum
Bloom time: June - July
General
This erect evergreen shrub, up to 1 m tall, often forms colonies.
Leaves & Twigs
The leathery, narrow, oblong leaves are about 2-5 cm long, with rusty matted hairs on the underside (new leaves have white hairs underneath). The edges of the leaves roll under to help retain moisture.
New twigs are densely covered with brown hairs; old stems become reddish-brown to grey.
Flowers & Fruits
Five-petalled, white flowers, about 1 cm across, occur in rounded clusters at the branch tips.
Habitat
Shade-intolerant and often found on moist to wet soils, Labrador tea is common on open peatland dominated by sphagnum moss and in open-canopy coniferous forests.
PlantWatch Pointers
Select a typical patch of plants, if the plants are very abundant, mark off a l-metre-square section to observe.
To Observe
First bloom: when the first flowers are open in the observed plants (3 places).
Mid bloom: when 50% of the flowers are open in the observed plants.
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Distribution Map
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