Distribution: Reported to occur in northern Washington but no specimens seen; Alaska to Idaho, east across Canada, in the Great Lakes region, and in the northeastern U.S.
Habitat: Sphagnum bogs and other acidic wetlands.
Flowers: May-July
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Review Group 1 in Washington (WANHP)
Small, glabrous, evergreen, spreading shrubs 1-8 dm. tall.
Leaves alternate, narrowly elliptic to linear, 1.5-4 cm. long and 2-6 mm. broad, tipped with a sharp point, the leaf margins entire and revolute, the lower surface of the leaf white-glaucous.
Flowers in small, terminal umbels; pedicels 5-12 mm. long, recurved; calyx deeply cleft, widely flared, the lobes about 1 mm. long; corolla united, broadly urn-shaped, 5-8 mm. long, pinkish; stamens 10, included, the filaments flattened, hairy; anthers 2-awned, opening by terminal pores; ovary superior.
Capsule sub-globose, glabrous, 5-celled, 4-6 mm. thick.
Publication: Sp. Pl. 1: 393. 1753.
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var. polifolia – bog rosemary
Circumpolar; Alaska and British Columbia east to Labrador; reported in the Gulf Islands, Washington and Idaho.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Andromeda polifolia in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Andromeda polifolia checklist entry
OregonFlora: Andromeda polifolia information
E-Flora BC: Andromeda polifolia atlas page
CalPhotos: Andromeda polifolia photos
