Fragrant wetland shrub confirmed growing wild in coastal Alaska
iNaturalist: miguel1958
Native Plants
If you hike boggy trails near Seward, that low evergreen shrub with curled, fuzzy-backed leaves and a piney-sweet smell might be marsh Labrador tea, a plant long used to brew traditional teas across northern peatlands.
Someone spotted marsh Labrador tea growing along Wizard Ave in Seward, Alaska, and got the sighting verified as research-grade on iNaturalist, meaning experts confirmed the identification. This low shrub loves cold, wet, boggy ground and has been used for centuries to make an aromatic herbal tea across the far north.
Key Findings
Observation reached 'research-grade' status on iNaturalist, meaning the identification was community-verified.
Location documented: Wizard Ave, Seward, Alaska, a coastal wetland-adjacent area.
Species is a slow-growing evergreen shrub typically found in bogs, muskeg, and tundra margins.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A verified sighting of marsh Labrador tea, a fragrant wetland shrub, was logged in Seward, Alaska, adding a confirmed data point for where this cold-climate native actually grows.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
marsh Labrador tea (Rhododendron tomentosum) observed in Wizard Ave, Seward, AK, US
Research-grade observation of marsh Labrador tea in Wizard Ave, Seward, AK, US.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Rhododendron tomentosum, commonly known as marsh Labrador tea, northern Labrador tea, marsh rosemary or wild rosemary, is a flowering plant in the subsection Ledum of the large genus Rhododendron in the family Ericaceae.