Bog Labrador Tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum)

Family: Ericaceae | Edibility: Edible (2/5)

A low aromatic evergreen wetland shrub (1-3 feet tall) of northern peat bogs, with leathery dark green leaves curled downwards along the edges with thick rusty-orange woolly hairs on the underside, and showy fragrant white flower umbels.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers

Harvest Seasons: Year-round, Spring, Early Summer

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Warm, resinous, aromatic, spicy, with notes of pine, juniper, black pepper, and eucalyptus — Leaves carefully steeped (NEVER boiled vigorously): Steep in hot, non-boiling water for 4-6 minutes to extract sweet aromatic oils without releasing excessive ledol; Consumed in moderate quantities (1 cup per day) as a warming subarctic winter tonic; Fresh spring blossoms steeped for a delicate floral tea or wild syrup infusion; Dried leaves added sparingly to smoking woods to season wild game

Habitat & North American Range

Sphagnum peat bogs, muskegs, wet conifer forests, and boreal tundra margins. (Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5)