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Rhododendron tomentosum - Wild rosemary
Rhododendron tomentosum (syn. Ledum palustre), commonly known as marsh Labrador tea, northern Labrador tea or wild rosemary, is a flowering plant in the subsection Ledum of the large genus Rhododendron in the family Ericaceae.
Description
It is a low shrub growing to 50 cm (rarely up to 120 cm) tall with evergreen leaves 12-50 mm long and 2-12 mm broad. The flowers are small, with a five-lobed white corolla, and produced several together in a corymb 3-5 cm diameter. They emit strong smell to attract bees and other pollinating insects.
Uses
- Rhododendron tomentosum is used in herbalism to make an herbal tea called "Labrador tea".
- Some schools of homeopathy consider Rhododendron tomentosum to be a specific remedy for puncture wounds produced by sharp-pointed objects or bites.[Clarification needed] However, no objective material benefit has ever been documented in any properly controlled study to date.
- Marsh Labrador tea has traditionally been used as a gruit in brewing beer in the Middle Ages. Due to its strong fragrance, it has also formerly been used as a natural deterrent against clothes moths in Scandinavia.
