Sweet Fern
Sweet Fern, Comptonia peregrina, is not actually a fern but a low-growing shrub with fern-like leaves that give off a pleasant fragrance when crushed. It can form a colony, so give this plant some room. Sweet Fern grows well in sandy soils, from well-drained dry sites to the edges of marshes. …
| Soil Type | Loam, Sand |
|---|---|
| Soil Moisture | Dry, Medium, Moist |
| Sun Exposure | Full Sun, Partial |
| Height | 2' - 5' |
| Bloom Color | Green, Yellow |
| Bloom Time | Apr, May, June |
| Spacing | 3' |
| Hardiness Zones | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| Root Type | Rhizome |
| Benefits | Host Plant, Deer Resistant |
Sweet Fern, Comptonia peregrina, is not actually a fern but a low-growing shrub with fern-like leaves that give off a pleasant fragrance when crushed. It can form a colony, so give this plant some room. Sweet Fern grows well in sandy soils, from well-drained dry sites to the edges of marshes. An important larval host plant for a wide variety of moths including the Io moth, and several sphinx moth species, it is also a host plant for the Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) butterfly.
