Sweet Fern

Sweet Fern is a small, colony-forming, deciduous shrub native to Ontario. It features shiny olive-green leaves that resemble fern fronds. Insignificant yellow-green flowers appear in late spring/early summer and turn into brown seed capsules. In fall, the foliage turns shades of red, orange, and yellow, though some years it may just turn brown depending on sunlight exposure. Sweet fern spreads via underground rhizomes and will form dense colonies over time. This may be unwanted in small gardens, but is great for erosion control or naturalization. 

Sweet Fern provides a food source to butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. It's also a larval host plant for the Gray Hairstreak butterfly, as well as 48 other species of Lepidoptera.

Sweet Fern grows best in full to part sun with sandy or gravelly, acidic, well-drained soil. It's tolerant of drought, wind, salt, and wet soils.