Sweet-fern
Comptonia peregrina
- Plant Type
- Shrub (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Understory
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun, ☁️ Shade
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Loam, Sand, Silt, Rocky / Acidic
- Bloom
- April, May
- Sociability
- S3 – Small colonies
Pollinator Value
- 🔑 Keystone
- Comptonia supports 66 lepidoptera species as a caterpillar host plant (Eco Region 8 data). As a monotypic genus endemic to North America, it provides unique habitat value. Notable associates include Sphinx gordius, Automeris io, and the specialist Acrobasis comptoniella. Dense rhizomatous colonies provide protective cover for ground-nesting birds including Kirtland's Warbler.
- 🐛 Larval Host
- Sphinx gordius, Synchlora aerata, Automeris io, Catocala badia, Acrobasis comptoniella, Protolampra brunneicollis
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 0
- Native Status
- ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- Local
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
- Rarity Notes
- Secure across its range (G5 globally, N5 in both Canada and US). Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Ranked S5 in Ontario and S4 in Quebec. Common in the Ottawa-Hull region historically and currently, with abundant herbarium documentation and community observations.
- Rarity Ranks
- QC S4 – Apparently Secure, ON S5 – Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- A pioneer shrub of dry, sterile, sandy to rocky acidic soils in pine barrens, oak savannas, clearings, and roadsides. Fixes atmospheric nitrogen through actinorrhizal symbiosis with Frankia bacteria, enabling colonization of nutrient-poor substrates. Forms dense rhizomatous colonies on sandy plains and cutover pinelands. In the Outaouais, found on sandy sites such as Constance Bay Sand Hills and Wakefield area.
S6 dry sterile sandy soils; S7 sandy plains; S10 N-fixing pioneer
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Nitrogen Fixer
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = High (not definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Nitrogen Fixer: S73 [HIGH]: S11 classified (S53 no signal, not contradictory)]
- Notes
- As an actinorhizal nitrogen fixer, sweetfern enriches nutrient-poor sandy soils, benefiting neighboring plants. Forms a natural understory guild with jack pine, black oak, and aspen on acidic sandy sites. Its shallow, spreading root system stabilizes sandy slopes. Suckering habit provides ground cover and erosion control on sites of low fertility. Not listed in Hemenway.
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
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ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Analgesic, Anthelmintic, Astringent, Blood Purifier, Dermatological Aid, Expectorant, Febrifuge, Gynecological Aid, Tonic
- Notes
- Extensively used by First Nations including Algonquin, Cherokee, Chippewa, Delaware, Malecite, Menominee, and Mi'kmaq. Leaf infusion taken for headaches, fevers, diarrhoea, and catarrh. Leaves applied as poultice for sprains, swellings, toothaches, and poison ivy rash. Cold leaf infusion used externally to counter poison ivy. Root used for headache and inflammation (Mi'kmaq). Compound decoctions used as blood purifier and for bladder inflammation (Delaware). Classified by Health Canada as an approved herbal ingredient (NHP).
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
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ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →✅ Edible
- Foraging Notes
- Leaves (fresh or dried) steeped for a fragrant, palatable tea, a use widespread among Algonquin, Chippewa, and other First Nations. Young nutlets edible as a nibble. Leaves also used as a culinary seasoning. PFAF edibility rating 3/5.
- Toxicity
-
⚠️ Moderate Toxicity
No known hazards. USDA Toxicity=None, Bloat=None. Not listed in Cornell poisonous plants database. PFAF reports no known hazards. Contains betulin (leaf, root, stem) per Duke Phytochemical database. Menominee ethnobotanical records mention compound containing leaves used as a poison, but this appears to be a ceremonial/magical context rather than indicating inherent toxicity.
S38 not listed; S11 Toxicity=None; S29 none known; S31 betulin
Seed Source
- Akene
- OWSL