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Ledum glandulosum
Ledum glandulosum Nutt.
Western Labrador Tea, Trapper's Tea
Ericaceae (Heath Family)
Synonym(s): Ledum glandulosum var. californicum, Ledum groenlandicum ssp. glandulosum
USDA Symbol: LEGL
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
A shrub with white flowers in roundish clusters at branch ends.
A relative, Bog Labrador Tea (L. groenlandicum) is found across Canada and occurs in the West from Alaska south to the coast of Oregon; it has a rusty hue to the woolly underside of the leaf.
From the Image Gallery
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 6 feet tall.
Leaf: Yellow-Green
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: WhiteBloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul
Distribution
USA: CA , ID , MT , NV , OR , UT , WA , WYCanada: AB , BC
Native Distribution: British Columbia and Alberta south to Sierra Nevada, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.
Native Habitat: Wet places in mountains.
Growing Conditions
Water Use: MediumLight Requirement: Shade
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Benefit
Use Food: Leaves steeped for tea by indigenous peoples.Warning: Plants in the genus Ledum, particularly the seeds, can be toxic. Though the leaves of a few species of Ledum have traditionally been steeped for teas, only sparing use at dilute concentrations is recommended, to avoid exposure to the andromedotoxins known to exist in this genus.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Find Seed or Plants
View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Bibliography
Bibref 1218 - Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources (2006) Anderson, M. KatBibref 1219 - Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples: Nutrition, Botany, and Use (1991) Kuhnlein, H., & J. Turner
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Ledum glandulosum in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Ledum glandulosum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Ledum glandulosum
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-04-03Research By: TWC Staff