Sweet fern (Comptonia peregrina) is in fact, a shrub.
The fragrant simple leaves growing from the woody stems resemble ferns, hence the name. It likes dry, rocky or sandy soil in pinelands, clearings and edges of wood lots.
I find the aroma calming. I use it fresh as a natural insect repellent on my skin and dried as both tea and incense. There was a patch growing in one of my favorite places on our family farm and the scent of this plant anywhere will make me feel good no matter what else is going on.
None of my foraging resources include this plant in their cookbooks, but I have been drinking it for years.
Always test to ensure wild plant edibility before consuming a large quantity of any new food.
Sweet Fern Tea
1/2 cup dried sweet fern leaves *
1 cup water
sweeten to taste
1. Crush leaves
2. Wrap in cheesecloth, gauze or a tea strainer
3. Bring water to a boil, then steep leaves 3-5 minutes
4. Add honey or sweetener to taste
* leaves dry quickly – less than an hour in low-heat oven, or hang by stem in a dry, well-ventilated spot for 1-2 days
I’m trying to start a border of Sweert Fern but having trouble finding a source.
Any suggestions on farms or vendors of Sweet Fern would be appreciated.
RCharles
Greetings. I have never successfully transplanted sweet fern. I don’t know anyone who has. I know that this plant likes well-drained, sandy soil in woodlands.
I did find one source from the University of West Virginia that made reference to landscaping:
http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/wildlife/ntvplts/swtfern.htm
If you contact them, I’d love to hear how your efforts turn out. Good luck.
Hi–I am trying to transplant some sweetfern I brought down from Massachusetts this week. It had such a long root! It has been in a pot in its own sandy soil for 9 days, and some of the lower leaves have died… I am afraid it is dying, and hope putting it in the ground won’t finish it off. I have good sandy soil in my yard. Its smell is heavenly for me too, and reminds me of “my” woods back home and blueberry picking along the powerlines in Walpole. God makes wonderful plants for us in His world. Gives us just a glimpse of how great He is; Maker of heaven and earth!
Lorraine, you have the right kind of soil and if you have a long root, that would give you the best advantage.
My attempts at transplanting have been most successful in spring, before any new growth, or autumn after the plant has completed its growing cycle.
Transplanting always “shocks” plants.
The only other thing you might do if this plant does not survive, is to try digging up a patch of soil around the sweet fern, so that the root is surrounded by the soil it has been growing in before you removed the plant.
I had minimal trouble transplanting sweet fern this summer. I live on the side of an ancient volcano in southern New Hampshire. Lots of rock in the soil which is poor and full of decomposed white pine needles. The trick is to wet the soil or dig just after a rain. Dig as large a soil ball as you can and have the proper-sized hole ready. Place the fern in the new hole, fill as necessary and water well for a couple of weeks. Only one of the six I transplanted failed — the rest are thriving.
Thanks very much for sharing this information, Will. This inspires me to try again. I’m sure readers will be grateful for the details you shared.
My pleasure JJ. It’s been very touch and go this summer with intense heat and three weeks without a drop of rain just after I put in 57 ornamental and fruit-bearing trees and bushes. Constant watering and the use of 2liter bottles with deep watering spikes brought all but one low-grow juniper through the worst of it unscathed.
I moved three more sweet ferns today — we’ll see how they do. I’m happy to have found this site and will be consulting it in future.
Wow, Will. I admire your commitment and dedication, especially given the difficult growing conditions this summer. I hope your plants not only survive, but thrive and bring you fruit, shade and the satisfaction due a gardener with a green thumb.
Keep me posted on any wild plants you successfully transplant.
I have tried off and on for several years, to no avail. However, after reading Will’s comments, I’m going to try again. A local greenhouse sells sweetfern. They told me that it would [wild sweetfern] only transplant in very early spirng. As I have had hand sergery this spring and am still in a cast, and my other hand still in a brace, I’ll have to wait until next spring! Best of luck to anyone working to succesfully transplant the fabulous, fragrent sweetfern.
Janice, thanks for risking your healing hands to add your comment. Get well soon, and meanwhile enjoy sweetfern tea until you can plant sweetfern next spring.
Hi. Have not been able to find this where i live (south-norway:)
Anyone who knows where i can buy some tee og seeds?
Thanks:-)
Bjorn, I have not seen sweet fern for sale retail anywhere. If you have the opportunity to travel to the US and end up in New York’s Hudson Valley, contact me and I can show this plant to you in the wild.
Enjoy your day.