In summer, ledum glandulosum produces attractive, rounded clusters of white flowers, growing at the tips of the leaf branches. Individual flower heads have five small petals, less than half an inch in length, and from 5 to 10 longer white stamens, topped by yellowish anthers. Flower centers have a greenish tint. The plant is relatively common, found in bogs and other moist places in the high mountains of the Pacific and northern Rocky Mountain states. Leaf branches are stout and woody.
Common names:
Trapper's tea, western Labrador tea
Family:
Scientific name:
Ledum glandulosum
Synonym:
rhododendron neoglandulosum
Main flower color:
Range:
Mountainous regions of the west, from the Pacific states to Montana, Wyoming and Utah
Height:
Between 2 and 6 feet
Habitat:
Moist locations on mountainides
Leaves:
Bright green, ovate, closely-spaced, up to 2.5 inches long; hairy underneath
Season:
June to August
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