Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin

LABRADOR-TEA

(Ledum groenlandicum Oeder)

HEATH FAMILY (Ericaceae)

IND. STATUS: OBL

FIELD CHARACTERISTICS: A low, evergreen shrub growing to a height of 1 m. The leaves are alternate, lanceolate to elliptic, 2-5 cm. long, and entire. Leaves have strongly inrolled margins and are dark green above and orange-woolly beneath (younger leaves may be white-woolly beneath). Flowers are white, 1 cm. wide, composed of 5 petals, and are arranged in terminal clusters. In flower during May and June.

ECOLOGICAL NOTES: Labrador-tea is restricted to bogs north of the vegetation tension zone.

SOURCE: Courtenay and Zimmerman (1972); Fernald (1970); and Gleason and Cronquist (1991).

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