Plant Guide with Characteristics, Classification, and other detailed information

Plant Guide

Comptonia peregrina (L.) Coult.
sweet fern
COPE80

Summary
Duration	Perennial
Growth Habit	Subshrub, Shrub
U.S. Nativity	Native to U.S.
Federal T/E Status
National Wetland Indicator

Morphology/Physiology
Active Growth Period	Summer
After Harvest Regrowth Rate
Bloat
C:N Ratio	High
Coppice Potential	No
Fall Conspicuous	No
Fire Resistant	No
Flower Color	White
Flower Conspicuous	No
Foliage Color	Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Moderate
Foliage Porosity Winter	Porous
Foliage Texture	Medium
Fruit/Seed Color	Brown
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	No
Growth Form	Rhizomatous
Growth Rate	Slow
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (feet)	2
Height, Mature (feet)	2
Known Allelopath	No
Leaf Retention	No
Lifespan	Moderate
Low Growing Grass	No
Nitrogen Fixation	Low
Resprout Ability	Yes
Shape and Orientation	Erect
Toxicity	None

Growth Requirements
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	No
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	Yes
Anaerobic Tolerance	None
CaCO3 Tolerance	Low
Cold Stratification Required	No
Drought Tolerance	High
Fertility Requirement	Low
Fire Tolerance	High
Frost Free Days, Minimum	135
Hedge Tolerance	None
Moisture Use	Low
pH, Minimum	4
pH, Maximum	7
Planting Density per Acre, Minimum	1200
Planting Density per Acre, Maximum	4800
Precipitation, Minimum	30
Precipitation, Maximum	60
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	14
Salinity Tolerance	None
Shade Tolerance	Intolerant
Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-38

Reproduction
Bloom Period	Spring
Commercial Availability	No Known Source
Fruit/Seed Abundance	Low
Fruit/Seed Period Begin	Summer
Fruit/Seed Period End	Fall
Fruit/Seed Persistence	No
Propagated by Bare Root	Yes
Propagated by Bulb	No
Propagated by Container	Yes
Propagated by Corm	No
Propagated by Cuttings	Yes
Propagated by Seed	No
Propagated by Sod	No
Propagated by Sprigs	No
Propagated by Tubers	No
Seed per Pound	30000
Seed Spread Rate	None
Seedling Vigor	Low
Small Grain	No
Vegetative Spread Rate	Moderate

Suitability/Use
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Fodder Product	No
Fuelwood Product	None
Lumber Product	No
Naval Store Product	No
Nursery Stock Product	No
Palatable Browse Animal	Medium
Palatable Graze Animal	Low
Palatable Human	No
Post Product	No
Protein Potential	Low
Pulpwood Product	No
Veneer Product	No

Kingdom Plantae -- Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta -- Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants

Class Magnoliopsida -- Dicotyledons

Subclass Hamamelididae

Order Myricales

Family Myricaceae -- Bayberry family

Genus Comptonia L'Hér. ex Ait. -- sweet fern P

Species Comptonia peregrina (L.) Coult. -- sweet fern P

Alternate Names

Comptonia peregrina (L.) Coult. var. aspleniifolia (L.) Fern., Myrica aspleniifolia L., Myrica peregrina (L.) Kuntze

Uses

This nitrogen-fixing plant is used primarily as a ground cover for erosion control and species diversity in sterile, sandy soils. The abundant underground stems, or rhizomes, makes it especially suited to stabilizing steep, sandy banks. It makes a pleasing companion plant in a coastal setting with the low growing junipers, rugosa rose, bayberry, and beach plum.

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values). It is considered threatened or endangered in several states.

Description

Bayberry Family (Myricaceae). Sweetfern is a low, loosely branched, mat-forming shrub, 1-3 feet high, with sweet-scented, fern like leaves. The alternate, hair-covered leaves are 2-5 inches long and taper at each end. There is an occasional compound leaf form variation. The leaf blades are deeply cut into 20 or more rounded lobes, dark green above, paler and hair-covered beneath and on the midrib and margin above. Resinous glands cover both surfaces. Leaves are very aromatic when crushed. The flowers are small, inconspicuous catkins that bloom during April and May. Flowers of one or both sexes can be produced on an individual plant. The male catkins are rather long and cylindrical; the female catkins are short and rounded. In winter, the male catkins are prominent and erect. The female catkins become bur-like at maturity and are 1/2 inch in diameter. The seeds are nutlets that mature in August and become available in September and October. About four seeds are found in each fruit. Each seed is about 1/4 inch long, olive brown in color, and shiny.

Adaptation and Distribution

Sweetfern does especially well in open, sterile, sandy soils of woodlands, clearings, and pastures. It prefers acidic soils over limestone soils.

Sweetfern is distributed throughout northeastern United States. For a current distribution map, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Website.

Establishment

Some nurseries offer wild collected clumps, but it is best established using nursery-grown, containerized plants. Losses of plants from the wild can be considerable. One or two year old liner material is also acceptable.

Management

Little management is needed if planted in an appropriate site. Sweetfern does not tolerate shading well, so removing competing vegetation is important.

Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

No known varieties of sweetfern exist. Plants are available at nurseries in the Northeast that specialize in coastal plants.

Prepared By & Species Coordinator:

USDA NRCS Northeast Plant Materials Program

Edited: 01Feb2002 JLK; 01jun06 jsp

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS Web site<https://plants.usda.gov> or the Plant Materials Program Web site <https://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov>

Attribution: U.S. Department of Agriculture