Laborador tea is a braodleaf evergreen shrub native to Alaska east to Greenland, south to New England and northern 
areas of the US where it grows in cold bogs and montane coniferous woods. It belong to the heath family (Ericaceae), a large family that includes blueberries, huckleberries and rhododendrons. Upright stems with coppery-orange to reddish-brown bark carry spreading branches of gray-green oblong leaves that are glossy, thick, two inches long, and have recurved margins and woolly brown undersides. The small white flowers have prominent stamens and are carried in terminal clusters up to two inches across from May to August. Good companions included heather, pieris and dwarf conifers.
Type: Broadleaf evergreen shrub
Outstanding Feature: Withstand severe cold; white flowers
Form: Globular
Growth Rate: Slow
Bloom: Terminal clusters of small white flowers with prominent stamens in late spring to summer
Size: 3’ H x 4’W
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Humus-rich, moist to wet, acidic; flood tolerant
Care: Low maintenance
Hardiness: Zones 2-6
Pests and Diseases: Susceptible to anthracnose
Propagation: Seed, semi-ripe cuttings in late summer, layering in situ
Karen Meyers