States
North CarolinaTennesseeGeorgiaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlabamaFloridaVirginia
Menu

Sweet-fern

Comptonia peregrina

Found in forests and woodlands; sandhills. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

47
Good

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
2–5 feet
Spread
4–8 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 6 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 3 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
April to May
Fruiting season
August to September

Recorded in 40 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

Sandhills

Dry, deep-sand ridges with longleaf pine and turkey oak, kept open by fire.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 130 animals.

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

52CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Comptonia

  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Archips georgianaFireworm, Georgia Leafroller
  • Aroga trialbamaculellaRed-Striped Fireworm Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
  • Catocala antinymphaWayward Nymph, Sweetfern Underwing
  • Cepphis armatariaScallop Moth
  • Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
  • Cleora sublunariaDouble-Lined Gray
  • Clepsis persicanaWhite Triangle Tortrix
Show all 52
  • Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
  • Cyclophora myrtariaWaxmyrtle Wave
  • Cyclophora pendulinariaSweetfern Geometer
  • Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
  • Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
  • Euchlaena effectaEffective Euchlaena
  • Euchlaena irrariaLeast-Marked Euchlaena
  • Hypomecis buchholzariaX
  • Iridopsis ephyrariaPale-Winged Gray
  • Iridopsis humariaSmall Purplish Gray
  • Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
  • Lacinipolia loreaBridled Arches, Bridle Groundcat
  • Lithophane tepidaWarm Gray Pinion, White-Eyes Pinion
  • Melanchra assimilisBlack Arches
  • Nemoria bistriariaTwo-Striped Emerald, Red-Fringed Emerald
  • Nemoria lixariaRed-Bordered Emerald
  • Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
  • Nemoria rubrifrontariaRed-Fronted Emerald
  • Orthotaenia undulanaDusky Leafroller
  • Phiaris glacianaFrosted Olethreutes
  • Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
  • Protolampra brunneicollisBrown-Collared Dart
  • Pseudohermonassa bicarneaPink-Spotted Dart
  • Pyrrhia exprimensPurple-Lined Sallow, Purple-Lined Sun Moth
  • Rheumaptera hastataSpear-Marked Black Moth, Spear Mark
  • Sphinx gordiusApple Sphinx
  • Strepsicrates smithianaBayberry Leaftier
  • Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
  • Synchlora aerataWavy-Lined Emerald, Camouflaged Looper
  • Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Xanthotype urticariaFalse Crocus Geometer
  • Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
  • Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
  • Xestia normanianusNorman's Dart
  • Acleris kearfottana
  • Agonopterix atrodorsella
  • Aroga argutiola
  • Chaetaglaea rhonda
  • Chionodes imber
  • Coleophora gaylussaciella
  • Dichomeris bipunctellus
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
0BeesSoutheastern regional records
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Myricaceae
Hardiness
Zones 2a–6b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Brown/copper, yellow, green or inconspicuous
Growth rate
Slow
Growth habit
Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
August
Fruit ends
September

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Sweet Fern

Conservation status

Virginia rankS5
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Growing cautions

  • Spreads by rhizomes. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as rhizomatous. USDA PLANTS

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources