Rediscovering the Boreal Forest, One Cup at a Time
There’s something grounding about the first sip of a tea that tastes like place—real, living place. The kind shaped by wind and water and weather, by the quiet resilience of northern plants that thrive under a wide-open boreal sky. This is the world of Floèm herbal teas, a small Quebec company turning the wild aromatics of Canada’s boreal forest into deeply evocative herbal infusions.
Our team at Wander recently tested Floèm’s product for the first time, and the verdict was unanimous: these aren’t teas you simply drink. They’re teas you experience. Each blend feels crafted with intention: complex yet gentle, innovative yet traditional.
A Taste of the North
Floèm’s Herbal Tea Discovery Set makes exploration easy: no infuser, no fuss, just beautifully blended pockets filled with hand-harvested botanicals. Each infusion highlights a different facet of the boreal forest:
Apple & Meadowsweet – A vibrant, fruit-forward blend with ginger, cardamom, and warm spices. Smooth, bright, almost sunlit.
Rose & Chamomile – Soft and floral with a rustic edge, smells like summer.
Thuya & Lavender – Fresh and slightly minty, balancing conifer notes with calming lavender.
Aronia & Alder – Earthy and lightly bitter in the most comforting way; an infusion that could taste like the forest floor after rain.
Each one invites you to slow down, to notice, to breathe. They’re ideal at the end of the day when you want to let go and reconnect with a quieter rhythm.
Born from the Boreal Forest
Floèm’s story is as compelling as its blends. The brand grew from a simple gift: Labrador tea picked in northern Quebec by co-founder Roxane’s brother. A culinary experiment turned into a passion project—and later, a path to healing.
After a life-altering snowboarding accident in 2017 left Roxane navigating a lengthy rehabilitation, her doctors encouraged her to find a project to lift her spirits. She wanted something meaningful that connected her back to the world she loved. One day, she recognized a patch of Labrador tea in the forest, and the spark returned. Within a week, Floèm was born, with Frédéric, her now-husband, wholeheartedly joining the adventure.
Together, they harvest ingredients in the wild as they travel by canoe through northern lakes and rivers, often with their two cats in tow. Their approach is gentle, intentional, and rooted in respect.
A Name with Poetry
“Floèm” is a fusion of flora and poem, a nod to the brand’s botanical roots and its reverence for nature. Pronounced Flo-èm, the name also ties to “phloem,” the plant tissue that transports energy—an elegant metaphor for what their teas offer: nourishment, flow, and a return to natural rhythms.
Crafted with Purpose
Floèm’s blends are bold, surprising, and deeply reflective of their origins. From balsam fir and sweet gale to wintergreen, alder, and wild Labrador tea, the ingredients are harvested ethically by experienced foragers across Quebec. These are not the standard herbs you find on grocery shelves. They’re distinct, expressive, and often overlooked in the world of herbal teas.
Floèm set out to change that. “We wanted to introduce the flavours and benefits of Labrador tea to Quebecers and to the world,” they share. “And we wanted variety—flavours that could meet different tastes, each one surprising and satisfying in its own way.”
Their complete collection includes seven loose-leaf blends and two standalone herbs (like pure Labrador tea and wintergreen), offering benefits ranging from immune support to relaxation, respiratory comfort, and anti-inflammatory properties.
A Gift with Meaning
As co-owner Frédéric shared with us, Floèm isn’t just a product—it’s an invitation.
Each infusion is a small sensory journey into the north. The sharp green of spruce tips, the soft florals of wild meadows, the grounding depth of forest soil. They’re gifts that support ecological stewardship, local communities, and ethical hand-harvesting.
For travellers who seek connection with place, nature, and wellness, Floèm offers something extremely rare: the chance to taste the boreal forest itself.
Why We Love It
Floèm embodies so much of what inspires us at Wander: a deep sense of place, a respect for nature, and the belief that small rituals can ground us and enrich our everyday lives. Their blends are poetic, purposeful, and full of quiet discovery.
Most of all, Floèm reminds us that wildness can be soothing and that beauty often grows in the most unexpected places: sometimes right at our feet, beneath the branches of a northern cedar.