sweetfern Myricaceae Comptonia peregrina

Leaf:Alternate, simple leaf, linear, 2 to 4 inches long, 1/3 to 1/2 inch wide, coarsely irregularly toothed, tight arrangement on twigs causes them to resemble ferns, dark green above, a bit paler below, very fragrant.
Flower:Species is monoecious; females short rounded catkin with reddish bracts, males elongated, yellow-green catkins in clusters at twig ends, appear in spring.
Fruit:Round, bur-like cluster of ovoid nutlets, brown when mature in late summer.
Twig:Slender, gray-brown, fuzzy; buds round, plump, male catkins present in the winter, resin dots often present.
Bark:Smooth, shiny reddish brown, heavily lenticeled.
Form:A small, densely branched shrub reaching 2 to 4 feet in height, spreads with rhizomes.

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