Whorls of narrow leathery leaves crowd the upper ends of the branches. Leaf edges curl under distinctly. Labrador tea conserve water. This shrub does grow in wet places, but the high acidity of the water makes it difficult to absorb. Clusters of bright white flowers burst from large scaly buds at the end of the branches as early as May in the south and as late as August in the north.
Flowers last several weeks.
A dry capsule forms after insects pollinate the flower, and eventually releases tiny light seeds. Woolly new leaves quickly replace the finished flower. You can find it in swamps and moist conifer forests throughout British Columbia. Further north, Labrador tea shrubs populate acid mountain meadows too. The geographic range covers all of northern North America including Greenland, as far south as Oregon on the Pacific coast.