Marsh Labrador tea - herb - 1000g (1kg)

Plant description

(Rhododendron tomentosum Harmaja, syn. Ledum palustre L. 1753) – a species of plant from the heather family. 

An erect, evergreen shrub, 1–1.5 m high, with densely, reddish hairy young shoots.

It occurs in the wild in central and northern Europe, north-eastern Asia, and northern North America.

The entire plant emits a strong odor and is considered poisonous. The leaves and shoots contain an essential oil with a strong, characteristic odor, paralyzing the nervous system and having an intoxicating effect – it can cause dizziness and headaches. Due to the content of harmful compounds at a level of 0.3–2% (including ledol, palustrol, arbutin, tannins), consumption in humans causes irritation of the stomach and digestive system, can lead to kidney damage and paralysis of the nervous system. The intoxicating scent of the flowers is poisonous to some insects, including honey collected from them.

Marsh Labrador tea is used as an anti-moth agent. The Vikings added marsh extract to beer to increase its intoxicating “power” ;)

Properties

It was once used as a medicinal plant applied externally. Carl Linnaeus described the healing properties of the marsh in 1775. The herbal raw material was primarily young shoots and leaves. In folk medicine, the common marsh is known as an externally applied agent with a soothing effect in arthritis, back pain and rheumatism, in the treatment of scabies, ringworm and other skin diseases and for rinsing the mouth in toothache, as well as internally against asthma and whooping cough. Its fresh or dried leaves were used by the Eskimos and Indians as a material for tea, and it was prepared in the form of cold extracts - using cold water.