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| Labrador Tea, Grandmother of the Dena'ina |
| | Labrador tea (Ledum palustre) is called quchukda (‘grandmother’) by the Dena’ina of Alaska. It is a circumpolar shrub that grows in profusion in spruce forests, bogs, sunny cliffs and tundra. It has a history of use as a beverage and as medicine by native peoples all across the boreal world. The Dena’ina Athabascans still sip Labrador tea for
disorders ranging from heartburn and hangover to tuberculosis, colds and arthritis, and as a spice for meat. Externally, the tea is used as a
wash for sores. However, the plant contains Ledol, a narcotic toxin that can spark cramps, paralysis and heart palpitations when taken in excess.
Labrador Tea is a low shrub with oblong to linear evergreen leaves, from 2.5 to 5 cm in length. The leaves are smooth on top, with the edges rolled back, and their undersides are covered with a rust-coloured fuzz. Clusters of tiny white 5-petalled flowers bloom in the first part of the summer. Labrador tea grows slowly so pick leaves rather than whole branches and harvest from different shrubs.
Sources:
M.Walker, Harvesting the Northern Wild. The Northern Publishers, 1984.
K.P.Russels, Tanaina plantlore, an ethnobotany of the Dena'ina Indians of south Central Alaska. Alaska Natural History Association,1991. |
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