Foraging for Wild Tea in Alaska
LABRADOR TEA
![E457EE2E-A12A-4EF3-926F-F2B684A3CD59.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTnd8kQxBW7KFAnk71nQx2E54VBF2RuUiDSXtHy8kTeQW/E457EE2E-A12A-4EF3-926F-F2B684A3CD59.jpeg)
Rhododendron groenlandicum / Rhododendron tomentosum are the scientific names.
It also goes by trappers tea, Hudson Bay tea, muskeg tea, Greenland tea, Greenland moss and story telling tea.
It’s old botanical name is Ledum groenlandicum.
It can be found growing in peaty soils, bogs, muskegs, moist conifer forests and meadows. It can be found throughout N. America, Russia, Greenland, NWT, Yukon, and Scandinavia.
You use the leafs and flowers.
Medical Uses
Labrador tea has analgesic properties that help with pain when made into a poultice/infused oil/ointment and allpied externally. It can also help with pain when taken internally as tea. It’s said to be a mild blood cleanser.
In a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 1992, Dr. Allison McCutcheon and colleagues found that branches of labrador tea act as an antibiotic against E. coli and Bacillus subtilis. Previous studies demonstrated the flowering heads in and extract were effective against both bacteria as well as yeast Candida albicans. other researchers also found extracts from the leaves active again Staphylococcus aureus bacterium.
Research from Quebec that is published by EthnoPharm Journal in 2007 found extracts from the leaf of labrador tea has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The twigs were also active against colon carcinoma and carcinoma cells.
Other research found labrador tea extract appear to possess activity that confirms The traditional aboriginal use of a leaf tea for type two diabetes.
Labrador tea used topically treat skin problems ranging from burns, ulcers, itchy chapped skin, bug stings,scabies and dandruff.
Labrador tea tincture can kill or deter head lice too!
Labrador Tea is high in Vitamin C
CAUTIONS!
Use in moderation. Be particularly careful not to use and access if you are pregnant or have high blood pressure. In large doses it can be considered cathartic and cause diarrhea.
All info is condensed from my book The Boreal Herbal written by Beverley Gray
I found the tea while foraging for high bush cranberries in our back yard 😊
I filled 6 dehydrator trays with the leafs.
Proof I own the book and do my research
Nice find! Hey, thanks for the info. Awesome pictures by the way.
Thanks, and you’re welcome 😊
Great Info!... I've seen quite a few Rhododendron's in U.K. but cannot be sure of their variety... With so many plants, there must cures for almost all ailments that can be had. I keep saying it....
I wouldn’t be surprised if all of it does come back to the plants.
mmm labrador tea is very good. Great thing about that evergreen is we can still get it all throughout winter if you know where your bushes are under the snow. I have a big love for plants in alaska you can harvest in the winter :)
Such a soft floral taste. So good. Enjoy!
Yeah I was reading that you can harvest in the winter too, man that would be a pain with how much snow we get.
Thanks for the flavor hints, it won’t be such a shock when I try it. 😊
If I tried this I'd end up... dead.
Hahaha that’s why you bring a sacrifice from work with you.
But for real, just do some research for your region. Old school books would have the most info in them, after all that’s what they had. Herbs 😊
Hello @alaskahippie, I found your post since @porters featured you in Pay it forward curation contest, and I come to support as my little contribution and I encourage you to joint out curation trail, while having new friend and help other to be more visible.
Thanks for letting me know 😊
You are most welcome @alaskahippie
I came to your post because @porters featured you in the Pay It Forward Curation contest
Cool, thanks for letting me know 😊
I'm so sorry I'm too late to upvote this!! What an interesting and informative post ... love the "proof" photo at the end too!
I found your post because @porters featured you in her Pay it Forward Curation contest entry. Please consider joining us with an entry of your own next week :)
Thanks for letting me know 😊
I’m not that great at contests, but thanks.
Whooaaa.. that's kind of book that I need to explore my neighbourhood 😯 but never find the right one before. Thank you for sharing this information with us @alaskahippie. Who knows.. I'll find something like the bushes and invented a new kind of tea for myself 😉 so cool with additional caution at the end.
I wish they had more books like this one, it would be so helpful!
You are absolutely right @alaskahippie😉 there're many articles on internet about some plants but it didn't work as good as printed books.
Yup, you can read a book when the power is out. Printing is a pain because you either staple or spend a ton in a plastic page binder.