Sweetfern | Plant Profile

Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina) are fragrant, small to medium shrubs that are native to the Northeastern United States. Small oval leaves grow in finger-like clusters. The color of the foliage can be medium to olive green. Insignificant yellow flowers produce tiny nuts. They can often be found in poor soils along roadsides.

Sweetfern prefers average, medium moisture, well drained soils in full sun to part shade.

Sweetfern’s ability to tolerate a wide range of conditions means that they have a multitude of garden uses. Their root systems can stabilize slopes or hillsides where other plants may struggle. They can add greenery to infertile and harsh areas. If left to naturalize, they may form colonies of sweet smelling groundcover.