Sweet Fern (Comptonia peregrina)

$10.75

Sweet Fern, not actually a fern, is an attractive, nitrogen-fixing creeping shrub. From what I could gather, it seems to be mostly wind-pollinated, but other sources say it is also bee-pollinated, so it is something to watch for. Either way, Sweet Fern is the host plant for 63 species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org). It seems as though some birds use Sweet Fern’s buds, catkins, and nutlets as a food source. If you are lucky enough to get a colony, it provides a protective cover for many kinds of wildlife (illinoiswildflower.info).

Photo credit: Homer Edward Price

Quantity:
Add To Cart

Sweet Fern, not actually a fern, is an attractive, nitrogen-fixing creeping shrub. From what I could gather, it seems to be mostly wind-pollinated, but other sources say it is also bee-pollinated, so it is something to watch for. Either way, Sweet Fern is the host plant for 63 species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org). It seems as though some birds use Sweet Fern’s buds, catkins, and nutlets as a food source. If you are lucky enough to get a colony, it provides a protective cover for many kinds of wildlife (illinoiswildflower.info).

Photo credit: Homer Edward Price

Sweet Fern, not actually a fern, is an attractive, nitrogen-fixing creeping shrub. From what I could gather, it seems to be mostly wind-pollinated, but other sources say it is also bee-pollinated, so it is something to watch for. Either way, Sweet Fern is the host plant for 63 species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org). It seems as though some birds use Sweet Fern’s buds, catkins, and nutlets as a food source. If you are lucky enough to get a colony, it provides a protective cover for many kinds of wildlife (illinoiswildflower.info).

Photo credit: Homer Edward Price

Life Cycle: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full-Partial shade

Soil Moisture: Medium/wet-Dry

Height: 1-3 feet

Plant Spacing: 2-3 feet

Bloom Time: April-June

Bloom Color: Greenish

Advantages: Caterpillar Favorite, Bird Favorite

Host Plant: 63 species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org)

Short’s Aster (Symphyotrichum shortii)
$5.00
In Production
Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)
$10.75
In Production
Michigan Holly (Ilex verticillata)
$10.75
In Production
Butternut (Juglans cinerea)
$10.75
Hairy Panic Grass (Panicum acuminatum)
$5.00