Sweet Gale is a low, aromatic shrub of northern bogs and lakeshores with highly fragrant leaves that repel insects. It is a nitrogen-fixer, thriving in the nutrient-poor soils of sphagnum bogs where it helps build up organic matter. Numerous waterfowl and shore-nesting birds use its dense branches for cover and nest materials.
Best time to see a Sweet Gale
The best time to see a Sweet Gale is May–August, when about 69% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 4,206 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Sweet Gale? What plant is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Sweet Gale sightings near you
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