Labrador Tea

Rhododendron groenlandicum

Pollinator Value

🔑 Keystone: Rhododendron supports 50 lepidoptera species regionally as a caterpillar host genus, including notable species such as the green comma (Polygonia faunus), laurel sphinx (Sphinx kalmiae), and io moth (Automeris io). As a dominant bog shrub, it provides critical larval habitat and nectar resources in wetland ecosystems where few other woody species persist.
S13 50 lepidoptera spp.; S61 dominant bog shrub
🐛 Larval Host: Polygonia faunus, Scopula limboundata, Sphinx kalmiae, Hyles lineata, Callosamia promethea, Schizura concinna, Automeris io, Hyalophora cecropia, Orgyia leucostigma, Acronicta tritona, Polygonia gracilis, Polygonia satyrus, Darapsa versicolor
S13+S15 13 verified Eastern NA
🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Andrena cornelli
S17 Rhododendron genus specialist, CT-NY-PA range
❄️ Winter Food Source: Willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) consume Labrador tea, with occurrence in 9% of diet samples and 0.5% by weight or volume. The evergreen foliage persists through winter, providing browse for ptarmigan in boreal and subarctic habitats.
S57 Willow Ptarmigan, 9% occurrence, 0.5% wt/vol

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) with national rank N5 in both Canada and the United States. Ranked S5 in both Ontario and Quebec, indicating no conservation concern. Not listed under SARA or assessed by COSEWIC. Widespread across boreal and subarctic Canada.
S22 G5, N5 CA, N5 US; S26 not SARA listed
Rarity Ranks: QC S5 – Secure, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Labrador tea is a characteristic shrub of acidic bogs, peat-accumulating fens, muskegs, and cold conifer swamps across the boreal and mixed-wood shield. It thrives on saturated sphagnum substrates and in the understory of black spruce and tamarack swamps, often forming dense thickets with leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata) and sheep laurel (Kalmia angustifolia). In the Gatineau region, it occurs in raised bogs and sphagnum-dominated wetlands such as those found in Gatineau Park.
S6 bogs, spruce forests, muskeg; S7 bogs and conifer swamps; S4 peat bogs, cold damp woods; S48 Gatineau Park specimens

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 19 bee associations (threshold=3)]

Category: Dermatological
S36 Skin-Conditioning Agent (topical)
Notes: Listed in Health Canada's Natural Health Products Ingredients Database as an approved herbal substance. Extract (dry and liquid) from whole plant is classified as a skin-conditioning agent for topical use only. Historically, leaves were brewed as a tea by Indigenous peoples for various traditional purposes.
S36 NHPID approved, topical skin-conditioning; S61 traditional tea use

✅ Edible

Foraging Notes: Leaves have been traditionally brewed as tea by Indigenous peoples across northern North America, giving rise to common names such as Hudson's Bay Tea and Muskeg Tea. However, all parts of the plant contain andromedotoxin (grayanotoxin), which is highly toxic. Use as a beverage should be approached with extreme caution.
S61 tea use; S7 tea use in Great Lakes; S4 andromedotoxin warning