Deciduous Perennial Rhizomatous, Spreading in the Poaceae Family
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A fragrant, rhizomatous native grass prized for its vanilla-like scent and deep cultural significance.
Hierochloe odorata, commonly known as Sweet Grass or Holy Grass, is a cool-climate perennial grass prized for the vanilla-like scent its leaves release when bruised or cut — a fragrance caused by naturally occurring coumarin. Rather than forming a tidy clump, this grass spreads by shallow rhizomes into loose colonies of slender, bright green blades reaching roughly 18 to 24 inches tall. It is found across cool regions of North America, northern Europe, and Asia, typically along the edges of wet meadows, marshes, and streambanks. Sweet Grass holds deep cultural significance: it is one of the four sacred plants used by many Indigenous nations of North America (alongside tobacco, cedar, and sage) in ceremony, smudging, and traditional basketry and braiding, and it has a long parallel history in northern Europe and among Sámi peoples as a strewing herb and clothing scent. Its dried leaves are also used to flavor the Polish vodka Žubrówka.
Pros
Sweet, vanilla-like fragrance from its foliage
Spreads readily to naturalize a wet site
Deep cultural and ceremonial significance
Tolerant of consistently moist to wet soil
Cons
Spreading rhizomes can be aggressive in small beds
Needs consistently moist soil; struggles if it dries out
Inconspicuous flowers, grown mainly for foliage and fragrance
Why Like
Sweet Grass is one of the most culturally significant native grasses in North America, used for centuries by Indigenous nations as one of the four sacred medicines. Its vanilla-like fragrance, a product of natural coumarin in the leaves, makes it worth growing simply to experience that scent firsthand.
Highlights
Distinctive, vanilla-like fragrance from the foliage
Deep ceremonial and cultural significance to many Indigenous nations
Naturalizes readily in consistently moist soil
Fine-textured, attractive grass foliage
Plant Data
Mature Size
18 - 24 inches
tall. 18 - inches
wide.
Growth Rate
Fast
Sun Exposure
Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance
Medium - Wet: Prefers consistently moist to wet soil; not drought tolerant.
Zones
3a - 7b
(Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags
Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Erosion Control, Fragrant Foliage, Full Sun, Good for Rain Garden, Grasses, Insignificant Flowers, Low Maintenance, Medium, Native to North America, Naturalizing, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Wet
We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!
Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants
Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.
Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.
Estimated Recipe Cost
The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.
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To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.
Shoot us an email at help@northshoreplantclub.com, and we'll be happy to talk about plants or let you know when it's time to buy them!
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We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region.
It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.
Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!
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