Sweet Fern (Comptonia Peregrina) – 1 Gallon Pot

A low maintenance, tough but beautiful North American native shrub that tolerates many conditions, including cold temperatures to -40F, the Sweet Fern is admired for its unique and aromatic fern-like foliage, hence the common name of Sweet Fern. This beautiful plant has zig-zagged, narrow, lustrous, olive to dark green leaves that are very fragrant when crushed and provide a very delicate look that will give that exotic, lush feel enhancing the beauty of the garden. Very adaptable and versatile, it performs well in situations from rain gardens to dry roadsides in full sun to part shade. Once planted, it doesn’t like being moved. So carefully choose a location.

Sweet Fern is a larval host plant for numerous moths including the Sweetfern Underwing moth (Catocala antinympha), as well as the Gray Hairstreak butterfy (Strymon melinus) in northern parts of its range.

Growing 3 to 4 feet tall or so and spreading 5 feet or more, the Sweet Fern is ideal as an accent in garden beds or in groupings or as a hedge in landscape borders. It is also great for use as a soil stabilizer on slopes, embankments and hillsides in full sun top part shade. It’s fine texture and natural form looks great near the garden pond or other bodies of water, or in containers that can be placed on patios, decks, or anywhere in the landscape that gets shade to part shade. A fine addition to sunny to partially shaded woodland gardens, bog gardens, cottage gardens, fern gardens, native gardens, Asian gardens, butterfly gardens, bird gardens, and the Xeriscape (low water needs).