Ledum glandulosum
| Ledum glandulosum | |
| Light: |    |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-6.5 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 5' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Ledum glandulosum (common name: labrador tea)
Propagation: Seed - surface sow in a shady part of the greenhouse in February or March[1][2]. Another report says that the seed is best sown in the autumn as soon as it is ripe[3]. Germination is variable and can be quite slow. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow the pots on in a shady frame for 18 months before planting them out into their permanent positions[1].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Plant out in spring. Fair percentage[1].
Cuttings of mature wood, November/December in a frame[2].
Layering in the autumn. Takes 12 months[1].
Division.
Cultivation: Requires a lime-free loam or peaty soil[4][5]. Prefers a moist humus-rich acid soil in shade or semi-shade[6]. Plants flower more freely when grown in a sunny position. Plants grow better if they have certain fungal associations in the soil. The best way of providing this is to incorporate some soil from around well-growing established plants into the soil for the new plant[6].
Hardy to at least -15°c[6].
The leaves are covered in tiny spots or glands from which a strong, resinous scent is given off[7]. The flowers also have an aromatic perfume[7].
Plants benefit from removing the dead flowers before they set seed[3]. This prevents them putting too much energy into seed production at the expense of more flowers and leaves.
Range: Western N. America.
Habitat: Wet montane meadows and open woods[8].
Edibility: An aromatic tea is made from the fresh or dried leaves[9][10][11]. The dried leaves are often mixed with non-aromatic leaves such as comfrey[10]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. It would be better to brew the tea in cold water by leaving it in a sunny place, or to make sure that it is brewed for a short time only in an open container.
The leaves are used as a flavouring, they are a bayleaf substitute[9].
The fresh leaves can be chewed[10].
Medicinal: The leaves and young flowering shoots re astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, laxative and stomachic[9].
Usage: The leaves are used to repel moths, mice, rats etc[9].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Plants contain a narcotic toxin called Ledel. This toxin only causes problems if the leaves are cooked for a long period in a closed container[9].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Hitchcock, Leo. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1955.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.