# Bog Labrador Tea (*Rhododendron groenlandicum*) Bog Labrador Tea is a special plant that grows in wet places like bogs. Its leaves can be used to make a tea that some people enjoy. The flowers are pretty and attract bees and butterflies! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 9 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Bog Labrador Tea](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Rhododendron_groenlandicum.jpg&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhododendron_groenlandicum.jpg) ## Appearance The Bog Labrador Tea is a small evergreen shrub with leathery, oblong leaves that are dark green on top. Its most distinctive feature is the rusty-brown, woolly hairs covering the underside of its leaves. It blooms with clusters of small, five-petaled white flowers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ericales - **Family:** Ericaceae - **Genus:** Rhododendron ## Interesting facts - Ancient people sometimes used its fluffy underside as tinder for starting fires! - Its leathery leaves can stay green all winter long, even under thick snow! - Rubbing its leaves can release a strong, slightly spicy scent that's easy to identify! - This plant loves growing in soggy, acidic bogs where few other plants can thrive! ## Special abilities - **Bog Survivor:** Bog Labrador Tea can grow in very wet, acidic, and nutrient-poor bogs where most plants struggle to survive. - **Winter Green Shield:** Bog Labrador Tea has thick, evergreen leaves that stay green all winter, helping it absorb sunlight early. - **Fuzzy Water Saver:** Bog Labrador Tea has rusty, woolly hairs on its leaf undersides to help reduce water loss in dry or windy conditions. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 50-150 cm - **Spread:** 30-100 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to mid-summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer may occasionally browse its tough leaves. - **Depends on:** Red Sphagnum (*Sphagnum capillifolium*) — Its presence helps create acidic bog habitat. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before touching or tasting any plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Bog Labrador Tea? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Bog Labrador Tea? 50-150 cm ### How wide does Bog Labrador Tea spread? 30-100 cm ### How big are the flowers on Bog Labrador Tea? 1-2 cm ### When does Bog Labrador Tea bloom? Late spring to mid-summer ### Is Bog Labrador Tea edible? No ### Is Bog Labrador Tea toxic? Moderate ### What is Bog Labrador Tea's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Chicken Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chicken-historic-district) — Alaska, US · Historic District - [Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grandma-lake-wetlands-state-natural-area) — Wisconsin, US · State Park - [Great Wass Island Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/great-wass-island-preserve) — Maine, US · Nature Reserve - [Guard Island Light](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/guard-island-light) — US · Historic District - [Lower Lisbon Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lower-lisbon-street-historic-district) — Maine, US · Historic District - [Mount Hope Cemetery](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-hope-cemetery) — Maine, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Bog Labrador Tea](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/bog-labrador-tea) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Bog Labrador Tea: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bog-labrador-tea)