Sweet Grass

Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata)

Sweetgrass is a fragrant, ribbon-like grass treasured for centuries across North America and beyond. Its sweet, vanilla-like aroma rises from long, graceful leaves that have been used in ceremony, weaving, and daily life. Among many Native American peoples, including the Lakota, Ojibwe, and Cherokee, sweetgrass is considered sacred. It is one of the “four sacred medicines,” used in smudging and rituals to invite blessings, purify spaces, and carry prayers to the spirits. Traditionally, it was braided into cords or woven into baskets, and its fragrance is said to invite positive energy and protection.

Sweetgrass is slow to establish and slow-growing, gradually forming clumps that spread by rhizome and can take several seasons to reach full size. It thrives in USDA hardiness zones 3–9, prefers full sun to light shade, and grows best in moist, well-draining soil that is slightly acidic to neutral. Once planted, water regularly until established and remove old or damaged leaves in spring. Established clumps can be divided in early spring or fall to expand your patch. Leaves can be harvested in late summer or fall for braiding, weaving, or ceremonial use.

Perennial. Hardy to zones 3–9.