Practical
Plants

Comptonia peregrina

Sweet Fern

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Comptonia genus in the family Myricaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
1.5 m
Spread
1 m
Flower type
monoecious

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The young fruits are eaten as a pleasant nibble[16][17][6]. The aromatic leaves, fresh or dried, are used to make a palatable tea[16][17][2][6]. The leaves are also used as a seasoning[6].

Product or use
Condiment
Product or use
Tea
Plant part
Fruit

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Sweet fern was employed medicinally by several native North American Indian tribes who used it especially as a poultice to treat a variety of complaints[14]. It is still used for most of the same purposes in modern herbalism. The leaves are astringent, blood purifier, expectorant and tonic[9][17][11][14]. A tea made from the leaves and flowering tops is used as a remedy for diarrhoea, headache, fevers, catarrh, vomiting of blood, rheumatism etc[10][11][14]. The infusion has also been used to treat ringworm[14]. The leaves have also been used as a poultice for toothaches, sprains etc[12][14]. A cold water infusion of the leaves has been used externally to counter the effect of poison ivy[10][11][14] and to bathe stings, minor haemorrhages etc[12]. The leaves are harvested in early summer and dried for later use[12].

Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Blood purifier
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Febrifuge
Product or use
Odontalgic
Product or use
Parasiticide
Product or use
Poultice
Product or use
Tonic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves are used as a lining in baskets etc in order to preserve the fruit[16]. The crushed leaves repel insects[2]. They can be thrown onto a camp fire to keep mosquitoes away[14]. The dried leaves have been burnt as an incense[14].

Product or use
Incense
Product or use
Lining
Product or use
Repellent

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia south to Georgia and east to Minnesota and Tennessee..
Habitat
Dry rocky or sandy soils in clearings, pastures and poor open woodland[15].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
very acid, acid
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - it has a very tough seed coat and also contains germination inhibitors and so is very difficult to germinate[4]. It is probably best to harvest the seed 'green' (after the seed has fully developed but before it dries on the plant) and sow immediately in a cold frame. If the seed has been stored then soaking in hot water for 24 hours will leach out some of the inhibitors and also help to soften the seed coat. Scarification will also help as will a period of cold stratification. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Grow them on in a greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer[K]. Root cuttings, 4cm long December in a frame[18][4]. Plant the root horizontally. High percentage[18]. Suckers removed in the dormant season and potted up or planted into their permanent positions[8]. Plants can be difficult to move successfully[12]. Layering in spring[12].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a peaty or light loam lime-free soil[3][5][8]. Requires an acid well-drained soil of low to medium fertility in partial shade but tolerates full sun if the soil does not dry out in the summer[8]. Tolerates dry sandy soils when grown in the shade[8]. A very ornamental plant[1], it is hardy to at least -25°c[7][8]. The crushed leaves are very aromatic[5], their scent is most noticeable in the early morning and the evening[12]. The scent increases when the leaves are dried[13]. This species is somewhat intolerant of root disturbance and should be planted out into its permanent position whilst small[12]. Suckering freely[7], this plant is well suited to clothing banks on soils of low fertility[8]. It has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil micro-organisms, these form nodules on the roots of the plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[8].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-394-72811-4

    ↩1↩2

  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩

  4. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

    ↩1↩2

  5. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

    ↩1↩2

  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30258-2

    ↩1↩2

  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  9. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

    ↩

  10. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

    ↩1↩2

  11. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3

  12. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  13. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩

  14. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  15. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

  16. Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  17. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

    ↩1↩2↩3

  18. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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