Comptonia peregrina

Sweet fern, a low growing deciduous shrub that is indigenous to the Northeast, is a wonderfully aromatic and soothing remedy for poison ivy, bug bites and skin rashes. It is usually found along roadsides growing beneath scrub pine, along the edges of forest and woodland, or amongst open fields.  Although sweet fern can be harvested at any time during its growing season, I have found that it is most potent when gathered in late summer or early fall after it bears fruit.

 Sweet fern is not only the most effective of the herbal treatments for poison ivy, it is one of the few that can be prepared and stored for later use.  What do you do when you get poison ivy during the winter (yes, there are those that are sensitive to poison ivy and assume that it is safe to “clean up” the vine during winter because it looks dead, only to find that they develop a rash)?  What do you do in early spring when the herbs commonly used for treatment have not yet started to grow?  You reach for the ‘sweet fern skin soother’ in your herb cabinet or refrigerator (that is where I keep mine – the cooled liquid soothes the skin as it brings instant relief from the itch).

Many dry the leaves of sweet fern and store them for later use which is fine, but I find that extracting the oils from the fresh leaves makes the ‘skin soother’ stronger and thus faster-acting and more effective.  It is simple to prepare (there are only 2 ingredients – sweet fern and fresh water) and can be stored in a glass container, in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. 

 For treatment of poison ivy you should apply the sweet fern preparation to the affected area with a clean cloth several times a day – the quicker you apply it after exposure to poison ivy the quicker the healing time.  In severe cases soak the area for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day. 

 Dab on a bit of the sweet fern preparation with a cotton ball to relieve the itch of bug bites, or fill a fine-mist spray bottle to apply the ‘skin soother’ to larger areas affected by minor skin rashes.

 Sweet fern – one of nature’s aromatic healing gifts.