Description
Ledum –
There are 3 or 4 species of evergreen shrubs in this genus. They are widely distributed in bogs, marshes, and moist, often coniferous woodland in cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and into subarctic territories. They are grown for their compact habit, their aromatic leaves (which are alternate, and may be linear, ovate, oval, or oblong), and their dense, terminal, umbel like corymbs of small, 5 petalled white flowers, with protruding stamens, borne in spring or early summer. Suitable for a cool position in a rock or heather garden.
Grow in humus rich, moist but well drained, acidic to neutral soil in shade to partial shade.
Prone to leaf gall, rust, spot anthracnose, and leaf spots.
L. groenlandicum – Labrador Tea – This bushy, rounded shrub found from Greenland, Alaska, Canada to Northern USA grows 3′ feet tall and 4′ feet wide. From red–brown woolly shoots it carries narrowly oval to elliptic leaves, to 2 ½” long, dark green above, densely rust felted beneath, with recurved edges. In late spring and summer it bears white flowers, to 3/4″ across in rounded, terminal corymbs, to 2″ across.
Zones 2-6
