Horticultural Experiment

Day 71: Here you see the beginnings of another of Crow's infamous horticultural experiments: the collection and seed-cleaning of Comptonia peregrina nutlets, preparatory to attempting to germinate them indoors. I was rather surprised to find out that the plant doesn't seem to self-sow here in the Pacific Northwest, although it does send underground runners out at least ten feet. On the East Coast where it is native, it often forms substantial groves of shrubbery. On the other hand, it's leggy and unkempt in its native environment, but mine keeps a compact shape with only enough pruning to keep its lush foliage from blocking my sidewalk. As shrubs go, it's certainly not what you'd term an "ornamental," but oh, the fragrance! It well deserves its common names of Sweetfern or Spicebush. Even in the winter months when the leaves are dry and brittle, they hold their scent. Freshly cut in summer, they will perfume a room. When green, the nutlets (inset) may resemble burrs, but they are softly spiny, not prickly. Each one contains several hard, dark brown seeds when ripe. Comptonia foliage may be used to brew a somewhat bitter herbal tea which may be drunk or applied to the skin to treat poison ivy rashes.