Sweetfern |Spotswood Greenery

Photo courtesy of Spotswood Greenery

Sweetfern |Spotswood Greenery

Photo courtesy of Spotswood Greenery

Sweetfern
Sweetfern |Spotswood Greenery
Sweetfern |Spotswood Greenery
Sweetfern

Sweetfern

Spotswood Greenery
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  • Comptonia peregrina
  • North American Native
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Pairs well with

Despite its name, this is a deciduous shrub with aromatic, fern-like foliage that smells spicy when crushed. It fixes its own nitrogen, allowing it to thrive in poor, sandy, and gravelly soils.

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Size at Maturity

Height 2'- 5' Spread 4'- 8'

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Growing Zone

USDA Hardiness Zones 2-8

Lowest Temperatures -50°F to -40°F

Light Requirements

Part sun to part shade- less than 6 hours of direct sunlight per day

Host Plant For

Columbia Silkmoth

Wildlife Benefits

  • Attracts Butterflies

Native Range

CT, DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV

Special Conditions

  • Deer Resistant
  • Drought Tolerant
  • High Salt Tolerance

Fragrant

Seasons of Interest

  • Summer
  • Fall

How to Plant

Give your new plant the best start possible. Click here for general planting instructions.

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Planting and Care Guide

Planting Tips

Plant in lean, well-drained to dry, acidic soil. Space 3–5 feet apart. Water thoroughly after planting. Tolerates very lean, sandy, and rocky soils.

Care Tips

Water regularly after planting; once established it is highly drought tolerant and thrives in lean, infertile conditions. Sweetfern spreads by rhizomes to form an attractive colony- allow to naturalize or use root barriers to contain. No fertilization needed or desired. Prune to shape in early spring if needed. The deeply lobed, fernlike, aromatic leaves release a rich, spicy-sweet fragrance when crushed- one of the most distinctive and delicious natural scents of any native shrub. Outstanding for naturalizing lean, dry, and difficult sites. Largely pest-free.

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