Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina)

Family: Myricaceae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

Not a true fern, but a low aromatic native deciduous shrub (2-4 feet tall) with long, slender, fern-like pinnatifid leaves covered in golden resin glands that exude an intoxicating sweet resinous and spicy balsam perfume when touched.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves, Nuts/Seeds

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Sweet, balsamic, resinous, spicy, reminiscent of eucalyptus, nutmeg, bay leaf, and pine needles — Fresh or dried resinous leaves steeped in boiling water for an exceptionally soothing herbal tea; Crushed dried leaves rubbed on wild game, roasted root vegetables, and mushrooms as an Appalachian seasoning; Small bur-enclosed nutlets gathered in mid-summer and cracked open for a tiny aromatic nibble; Fresh leaves tossed onto camp stove embers to create a mosquito-deterring aromatic smoke

Habitat & North American Range

Dry, sterile, sandy or gravelly soils, pine barrens, rocky ridges, and open sunny clearings. (Zone 2, Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6)