Comptonia peregrina (L.) J.M. Coult.

Sweetfern

About plant names...

Sweetfern is literally in a class by itself, being the only member of genus Comptonia. (The genus is named from Henry Compton, bishop of London from 1632-1713.) Sweetfern is native to eastern North America. Although its foliage is fern-like, it is not actually a fern. Ferns don’t flower, and sweetfern does. The common name refers to the odor of its foliage, not its flowers. The odor is stronger when the leaves are crushed.

Identification: Plants are up to 5' (1.5 m) tall. Stems are woody and strong, red-brown to gray. Leaves are long and narrow—1-6" (3-15 cm) × ⅛-1" (3-30 mm). They are somewhat fernlike in appearance, but on close inspection, the long narrow leaves are not symmetrical like those of ferns. Flowers are inconspicuous light brown catkins at branch ends, 1¼-1¾" (3.2-4.4 cm) long. Seeds resemble burrs, with four to each fruit.

Online References:

Comptonia peregrina on plants.ces.ncsu.edu

Comptonia peregrina on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

Comptonia peregrina on Wikipedia

Comptonia peregrina on plantdatabase.uconn.edu

Comptonia peregrina at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Comptonia peregrina on the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

Comptonia peregrina on www.nrs.fs.fed.us

Comptonia peregrina on eFloras

8/12/2009 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 24 × 16" (62 × 41 cm)

A touch of frost. · 11/19/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 9 × 6" (23 × 15 cm)

5/13/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts

8/6/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 17 × 12" (44 × 29 cm)

6/22/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 6 × 4½" (15 × 11 cm)

Comptonia peregrina description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 14 Aug 2021.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.

6/27/2012 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4½ × 3" (11 × 7.9 cm)

6/12/2010 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts

8/7/2009 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 18 × 14" (45 × 34 cm)

8/4/2009 · Near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 33 × 26" (83 × 65 cm)

7/3/2005 · Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts

9/16/2020 · Cathance River Nature Preserve Trails, Highland Green, Topsham, Maine
≈ 4 × 6" (10.0 × 14 cm)

8/29/2015 · Mount Grace, Athol, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 9 × 6" (22 × 15 cm)

9/23/2017 · Summit of Mt. Agamenticus, York, Maine
≈ 4 × 2½" (10 × 7 cm)

Range:

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