Comptonia peregrina (Sweet Fern) Unity Grown

Comptonia peregrina, also called sweet fern or sweetfern, is a woody shrub with fern-like foliage native to eastern North America. Tolerant of a wide variety of growing conditions, sweet fern is not a true fern relative and is in fact more closely related to the in the same botanical family as the plant that produces bay leaves, with sweet fern leaves producing a sweet, spicy fragrance when crushed. Growing to a mature height of 2-5' tall and 4-8' wide in a spreading, bushy habit, Comptonia peregrina makes a graceful addition to numerous locations in home landscapes, thanks to its attractive foliage and tolerance of wet and dry soils, drought, wind, deer damage, and even salt spray.

In the spring, sweet fern produces small, brown or yellow-green flowers which eventually turn to brown-green burr-like seeds. While seeds are not a significant food source for too many animals, sweet fern structure makes excellent cover for birds and wildlife, and the plant's branches and foliage act as a host plant for a number of different larval butterfly species including the caterpillars of the gray hairstreak butterfly (Strymon melinus) and the sweetfern underwing moth (Catocala antinympha), named for this plant. If you're looking for attractive, fragrant foliage as a groundcover, for your rain garden, or in and among stubborn beds from full sun to partial shade, Comptonia peregrina is an excellent choice.