Sweet Grass
Hierochloe odorata
Poaceae
Other names
Vanilla Grass, Holy Grass
Growth habit
Grass/Sedge
Perennation
Long-lived polycarpic perennial
Native distribution
Circumboreal South to NJ, OH, IA and AZ
Biocultural value
Dried foliage releases a sweet vanilla scent. Long blades can be braided and burned as incense and also made into sweet grass baskets.
Location
Source of plant
Prairie Moon Nursery
Description
Vigorously spreading deciduous perennial grass with far-reaching white rhizomes, which form compact tufts growing up to 20". Leaves aromatic when bruised; early-blooming, the inflorescence being produced from March to May.
USDA Hardiness Zone
5
Special characteristics
fragrance, flowering season, fiber, other ethnobotanical uses