Question: I found something that may be sweetfern on the dry sandy bank of our septic field in north central Mass. …
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Question
I found something that may be sweetfern on the dry sandy bank of our septic field in north central Mass. The field was planted with a native mix of plant seed 3 years ago but also has plenty of plants that were not in the seed mix. Can you tell from these photos whether the plant is sweetfern? It is a woody shrub about 2-3 feet tall. Thank you!
Answer
Dear MA_Hiker, you have indeed photographed Comptonia peregrina (sweetfern). This is a native shrub that is often found in dry, sterile soils (though it is not limited to those locations). The bruised leaves will smell strongly of resin, similar to Morella (bayberry), a member of the same plant family.
