Chapter 1.6

1.6 - Labrador Tea

Marissa Jeens, University of Guelph, Canada

Suggested citation for this chapter.

Jeens, M. (2022) Labrador tea. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/

Background

The modern consumer is constantly looking for newer, healthier foods (Vicentini et al., 2016). However, now may be the time to start using time-tested, Indigenous, North American crops. Labrador tea has the potential to be the next best thing in the functional food scene. Functional foods are foods that have health benefits that are beyond basic nutrition (Wislon, 2005). Labrador tea is a functional beverage that has historically been used for its health benefits. This amazing plant has been harvested by Indigenous peoples for its aromatic taste, and natural medicinal properties for centuries. The plant’s hearty nature and vast abundance make it a crop that is ideal to harvest and bring to a modern consumer market (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015).

What is Labrador Tea?

Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum) is an evergreen shrub that is native to North America (Turner, 2006). This shrub is found in every Canadian province, territory and in some northern states like Oregon and Idaho (Hébert, 2011). Labrador tea prefers to grow in "humid boreal ecosystems like […] swamps" and it thrives in nutrient-poor, acidic soil (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015). Labrador tea shrubs have oblong-shaped waxy leaves, with a characteristic rolled edge with soft hairs along the underside (White, 2015). The Labrador tea plant can be found as a creeping shrub with dense twigs, and in the springtime small white flowers appear on the shrub (Hébert, 2011). See Figure 1 in the appendix for an image of a Labrador tea plant.

Geography and Environment

Labrador tea is a very resilient and adaptable plant, because of this it can be found across Canada, in the United States, and even in Alaska (Hébert, 2011). Labrador tea requires a cool climate to grow. This is clear to see when observing the plant’s geographic distribution (Figure 2). Labrador tea also grows best when grown in conjunction with black and white spruce trees (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015). The canopy of the spruce trees provide shade, keeping the ground cool and moist which is ideal for Labrador tea (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015). Labrador tea is a very hearty plant, as can be seen by its vast distribution across the United States and Canada .Labrador tea can also be found in Europe and Russia, but the cultivar of the plant is slightly different and thus it will not be examined in this paper (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015).

Indigenous People’s Use of Labrador Tea

Labrador tea has been used and enjoyed by several Indigenous communities in North America including but not limited to the Quinault, Makah, Iroquois, Haida, Comox, Nuxalk, Inuits, and Metis (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015). Indigenous people have discovered many clever ways to use the leaves of Labrador tea plants. Most commonly, they would pick the leaves off Labrador tea shrubs and boil them to create a healing beverage (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015). Indigenous people would also dry the leaves and grind them up to use as a lemony seasoning for food (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015). Some groups, like the Metis in Alberta, would even pack ceremonial tobacco pipes with Labrador tea and smoke it to experience a mild sedative.

Benefits

Based on the testimony of Indigenous people, it is known that Labrador tea can be used to help soothe a sore throat, stomach pain, and constipation (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015). Scientific research has proven that the medicinal properties of Labrador tea are a result of its chemical composition (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2013). The essential oils in Labrador tea give the plant anti-inflammatory properties (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015). Additionally, the ascorbic acid content in Labrador tea makes the plant a mild laxative and a good preventor of illness (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015). Scientific trials have also shown that methylchloride from Labrador tea has shown 99% inhibition of cancer cells in mice (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015). Additionally, Labrador tea has even been used as a light narcotic for pregnant women as they begin labour (Marie-Victorin, 1964). Labrador tea has also been prepared as an ointment or tonic that can be applied to the skin to treat rashes and burns (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015). See Table 1 in the appendix for an overview of the medical applications of Labrador tea.

Limitations

The main limitations of Labrador tea are related to its potential toxicity and difficulty harvesting. Labrador tea that is found in North America contains small amounts of the toxic compound Ledol (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015). Ledol is not toxic in small amounts, however, it becomes toxic in high concentrations (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015). Therefore, if a person were to consume large amounts of Labrador tea, they could experience toxic side effects including diarrhea, stomach pain, and hallucinations (Warren, Faye. Metis. Personal communication September 30, 2021). It is unlikely that the Labrador tea that is grown in North America will be toxic to a consumer, but it is not impossible, and with heavy consumption, the level of Ledol could be sufficient to cause serious illness (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015). Additionally, the Ledol concentration in Labrador tea can be fatal to some livestock, especially sheep, this may be an important consideration for some farmers that are interested in growing Labrador tea (Anderson, 2011).

Additionally, harvesting Labrador tea cannot be mechanized due to the plant's preferred environment. As mentioned, Labrador tea grows in wet, swampy areas with spruce trees (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2013). It is impossible to use a machine to harvest Labrador tea because traditional farming equipment like combines are too large to manoeuvre around trees, and they would become stuck in the swampy forest floor (Aldoshin et al., 2019). It is also relevant that only a portion of the leaves on a given Labrador tea plant can be harvested at a time; if too many leaves are removed the plant will die and take years to mature again (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2013). Modern farming equipment used for harvesting is not able to moderate how much of the plant is harvested (Aldoshin et al., 2019). For these reasons, the harvesting of Labrador tea needs to be done by hand, making it labour intensive and expensive.

The federal protection of wetland areas is another major limitation to the commercial production of Labrador tea. In Canada, under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) a variety of ecosystems that are owned by the federal government are protected areas, this severely limits what activities are acceptable in these areas (Dodd, 1999). If a wetland is federal and is deemed protected, only approved activities can be undergone in the area; this is the government's way to avoid interference with valuable natural ecosystems. Regulatory measures for wetlands are often extreme because these ecosystems can be home to endangered species or have rare biodiversity (Dodd, 1999). This is to say that wetlands that are federally owned where Labrador tea is found have extreme restrictions on what actions can be done, making harvesting impossible in these areas.

The marketability of Labrador tea may also be affected by its seasonal flavour variation. Depending on the time of year, Labrador tea leaves can have different flavour profiles (Hébert, 2011). In the springtime, the leaves can taste lemonier and aromatic, while in the winter they can tend to taste stronger and more bitter (Hébert, 2011). This may become an issue when selling the beverage product to consumers since flavour consistency in different batches of leaves cannot be guaranteed.

Modern Use

Labrador tea is commercially available, but not widely available . It is not available in retail stores; however, it can be purchased online in small quantities by some sellers. The largest online retailer for Labrador tea, Sunrise Botanics, sells dried Labrador tea leaves for $39.99 per quarter pound (Sunrise Botanics, 2021). The absence of modern commercial popularity of Labrador tea may be a result of the lack of knowledge about the product's benefits because it remains popular in Indigenous communities (Dampc & Luczkiewicz, 2015).

References

1.Aldoshin, N. Didmanidze, O. Mirzayev, B. & Mamatov, F. (2019). Harvesting mixed crops by axial rotary combines. Russian State Agrarian University. Retrieved from https://staff.tiiame.uz/storage/users/438/articles/0vPoDi1R8ImH6ocQ3xHmfrVr2FXE99JVYAZ6l81J.pdf

2.Anderson, M. (2011). Plant guide for bog Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum). USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Plant Data Team. Retrieved from https://www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org/pdfdocs/labradortea_usda.pdf

3.Dampc, A. & Luczkiewicz, M. (2015). Labrador tea – the aromatic beverage and spice: a review of origin, processing, and safety. J. Sci. Food Agric. 95: 1577-1583. Retrieved from https://doi-org.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/10.1002/jsfa.6889

4.Dampc, A. & Luczkiewicz, M. (2013). Rhododendron tomentosum (Ledum palustre). A review of traditional use based on current research. Fitoterapia. 85:130-143. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2013.01.013.

5.Dodd, C. N. (1999). Wetlands protection law: Comparative analysis of the federal laws of the United States and Canada, and the local laws of Michigan and Ontario. Journal of International Law. 8(3): 793-818. Retrieved from https://nationalaglawcenter.org/publication/dodd-wetlands-protection-laws-a-comparative-analysis-of-the-federal-laws-of-the-united-states-and-canada-and-the-local-laws-of-michigan-and-ontario-8-michigan-state-univ-dcl-j-international-l-7/

6.Hébert, F. & Thiffault, N. (2011). The biology of Canadian weeds. 146. Rhododendron groenlandicum (Oeder) Kron and Judd. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 91(4): 725-738. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.4141/cjps2010-012

7.Hébert, F. (2011). Flower buds of Rhododendron groenlandicum, with some flowers emerging. [Photograph]. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. https://doi.org/10.4141/cjps2010-012

8.Hébert, F. (2011). Distribution of Rhododendron groenlandicum. [Photograph]. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. https://doi.org/10.4141/cjps2010-012

9.Karlin, E.F. & Bliss, L.C. (1983). Germination ecology of Ledum Groenlandicum and Ledum Palustre SSP. Artic and Alpine Research. 15(3): 397 – 404. Retrieved from 10.1080/00040851.1983.12004364.

10.Marie-Victorin, F. (1964). Flore laurentienne (No. Sirsi) a81626).

11.Sunrise Botanics. (2019). Loose leaf tea - Labrador tea C/S. Retrieved from https://www.sunrisebotanics.com/products/labrador-tea

12.Turner, N. (2006). Labrador Tea. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/labrador-tea

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