All Plants :: All Native Plants
Comptonia peregrina
Sweet fern
Image courtesy of Bailey Nurseries
- Sweet smelling, shiny, olive green leaves
- Shruby, mounding habit, attracts pollinators
- Loves abuse!
Border or Bed
Drought Tolerant
Fast Growing
Fragrant
Great Foliage
Low Maintenance
Mass Planting
Homeowner Growing and Maintenance Tips:
Grows in average, well-drained soil with medium moisture. Adaptable and grows in wet and drought conditions, wind and a wide range of soils. Does not transplant well. Once established it can form large colonies.
Height: 2-5 ft
Spread: 4-8 ft
Spacing: 3-5 ft
Price Level 1: $24.99 ea.~#1
Bloom Color: Yellow
Zone: 2-6
Additional Characteristics & Attributes:
Attributes:
- Great Foliage
- Drought Tolerant
- Vigorous
- Salt Tolerant
- Fragrant
- Fast Growing
- Native
- Mass Planting
- Border or Bed
- Low Maintenance
- Naturalizing
Critter Resistance:
- Deer Resistant
- Rabbit Resistant
Exposure:
- Full Sun
- Partial Sun
Habit:
- Upright
Foliage Color:
- Dark Green
Season of Interest (Flowering):
- Spring
Season of Interest (Foliage):
- Summer
Attracts Wildlife:
- Attracts Butterflies
- Attracts Songbirds
Soil Moisture:
- Average Water
- Wet Soil/Wetlands
- Dry Soil
- Moist, Well-Drained
Genus Overview: Comptonia
Common Name: Sweet fern
Upright, deciduous shrub. Narrow, glossy, deeply notched green leaves, aromatic. Insignificant yellow-green flowers in spring, mature to greenish-brown nutlets. Great native plant for areas with poor soil, native gardens and naturalized areas.