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Comptonia peregrina Sweet Fern

A small suckering deciduous shrub that eventually becomes a many stem thicket and is native to eastern North America from Manitoba to Nova Scotia, south to North Carolina. Rapid growing up to 3 feet per year; Sweet Fern may eventually reach 4 feet or rarely up to 6 feet in height with a width of over 10 feet.
Its very fragrant, lobed almost to the midrib, ferny foliage is glossy deep green in the summer turning to tan in the fall and sometimes persisting dried into the winter. The young leaves in spring are covered by a reddish-brown down.
The leaves can be prepared into a tasty tea. Just put 2 teaspoons of fresh leaves into a covered cup of boiling water for 10 minutes.
The leaves can also be used in the same way as Bay Laurel to flavor food in cooking.
The red-brown flowers are borne in separate male and female catkins up to 2 inches in length and resembling Corylus ( Hazel ).
The Sweet Fern prefers sun to partial shade and slightly acid, moist, rich, well drained soil. Also tolerant of poor, dry, sandy soils. Old wood should be occasionally removed in early spring to make room for younger more vigorous growth. With excellent clean, lush, disease and pest free foliage in the summer this makes for an excellent tall groundcover. The Sweet Fern can be propagated from seed, replanting rooted suckers and by layering and is hardy from zones 2 to 6.

POTENTIALLY AN EXCELLENT PLANT FOR COMMERCIAL PARKING LOT ISLANDS AND ALONG HIGHWAYS!

* photo taken on August 2004 @ Tyler Arboretum, Philly ( unfortunately photo is a little washed out )


* photo taken on 4th of July 2010 in Washington, D.C.


* photo taken on August 3 2010 @ University of Guelph Arboretum, Ontario