Labrador Tea vs Canada Plum - TreeTime.ca

Labrador Tea vs Canada Plum

Rhododendron groenlandicum (Ledum groenlandicum)

Prunus nigra

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Labrador Tea
Canada Plum

Labrador Tea is slow-growing evergreen shrub native to the boreal forests of Canada.

It thrives in wet, swampy conditions.

Labrador Tea has narrow, leathery, dark green leaves, topped by a cluster of white flowers in the spring. It is a perfect ornamental shrub for boggy, wet areas of your property.

Canada Plum is a cold-hardy wild plum native to North America with small red fruit. They ripen in mid to late summer, with bitter, astringent skin surrounding sweet, slightly acidic flesh that clings to the stone. While some enjoy eating the plums fresh, they are more commonly used for baking and preserves. It is considered a universal pollinizer for other plum varieties and is often used for grafting or as a rootstock.

White to pink flowers appear in spring, often before the leaves, providing an early source of nectar and pollen for native bees and other pollinators. Birds and other wildlife also feed on the fruit, adding to its ecological value. Canada Plum can grow as a small tree or large, multi-stemmed shrub. It is well suited to a variety of projects, including fruit orchards for cross-pollination, as well as pollinator plantings, naturalization, and restoration projects.

Labrador Tea Quick Facts

Canada Plum Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 2b
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: none
Suckering: high

Toxicity: slightly toxic if ingested

Foliage: leathery, orange undersides, evergreen
Fall colour: rust orange
Fall colour: attractive yellow, gold
Bark: grey and scaly with age
Flowers: white, fragrant
Flowers: white
Fruit: under 1 inch round yellow fruits with red blush to completely red, tart skin with sweet flesh
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: MB, ON, QC, NB
Other Names: american plum, black plum, canada plum, horse plum, wild plum