Plant Details

Comptonia peregrina, commonly called Sweetfern, is an upright, deciduous shrub featuring deeply notched, olive to dark green leaves to 4" long. Native shrub of eastern North America, most often occurring in poor, sandy or gravelly, infertile soils, such as roadsides. Fixes its own nitrogen. Foliage is aromatic and resembles that of ferns, hence the common name of Sweetfern. An excellent plant for stabilizing slopes or embankments. Tolerates wet and drought conditions.