Hierochloe odorata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hierochloe odorata |
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H. odorata
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| Hierochloe odorata (L.) P. Beauv.
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Hierochloe odorata or Anthoxanthum nitens is a special plant known by many names. People often call it sweet grass, manna grass, Mary’s grass, or vanilla grass. In the UK, it's known as holy grass, and some vodka makers in Poland call it bison grass.
This plant is an aromatic herb. It grows naturally in northern Eurasia and North America. Sweet grass is very important to the indigenous peoples of Canada and the United States. They use it in sacred ceremonies, often for smudging. It is also used in herbal medicine and to flavor drinks like some vodkas (for example, Żubrówka). Sweet grass has a unique sweet smell because of a chemical called coumarin.
This type of grass is different from the plant called Buffalo Grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) found in Australia.
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Sweet Grass: A Special Plant
What Does Sweet Grass Look Like?
Hierochloe odorata is a very tough plant. It can even grow near the Arctic Circle. Its leaves are not stiff, so they only grow to about 20 cm (8 in) tall. Then, the leaves spread out horizontally. By late summer, they can be 100 cm (39 in) long or even more.
The bottom part of the leaf, just under the soil, is wide and white. It does not have hairs. The underside of the leaf is shiny and smooth. In nature, the bases of the leaves often look purple-red. This color can mean the soil doesn't have enough phosphorus.
There are different kinds of sweet grass. One kind can be picked once or twice a year. Another kind grows much faster. This faster-growing type can be harvested three to five times a year. Two chemicals in sweet grass, phytol and coumarin, can help keep mosquitoes away.
How Sweet Grass Gets Its Name
The name Hierochloe odorata comes from Greek and Latin words. Hierochloe means "holy grass," and odorata means "fragrant" or "smelly."
Some scientists group Hierochloe with another plant group called Anthoxanthum. If they do this, sweet grass is called nitens. This helps avoid mixing it up with a different plant, Anthoxanthum odoratum, which is also called sweet vernal grass.
How Sweet Grass Grows (Propagation)
It's easiest to grow sweet grass by taking small pieces (plugs) from plants that are already growing. Sweet grass likes sun or some shade. It does not like dry conditions.
Seeds from sweet grass often don't grow. If they do, it can take two to three years for the plant to grow strong roots.
Where Does Sweet Grass Grow?
In North America, Hierochloe odorata grows in southern Canada. It also grows in the northern Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, the northwest U.S., and New England.
In continental Europe, it grows north of Switzerland. There is only one place where it grows in Ireland. It has also been found in four counties in Scotland and one in northeastern England.
How People Use Sweet Grass
People pick sweet grass in early to late summer. They cut it at the length they need. If Hierochloe odorata is picked after the first frost, it won't have much smell. This makes it less useful for weaving baskets.
Basket weavers dry the cut sweet grass in the sun. They dry it until it becomes very dry and brittle. This brittle sweet grass must be soaked in warm water. This makes it soft and easy to bend again. The soft grass is usually braided into thick ropes. Then, it is dried again before it is used for weaving.
Sweet Grass in Europe
In northern Europe, people used to spread holy grass in front of church doors on special saint days. This was probably because of the sweet smell it made when people walked on it. In France, it was used to flavor candy, tobacco, soft drinks, and perfumes. In Europe, another type of grass, Hierochloe alpina, is often used in the same ways. In Russia, people used it to flavor tea. It is still used to flavor vodka, like the famous Polish Żubrówka.
Sweet Grass in Native American Traditions
Sweet grass is used a lot by indigenous peoples in North America. Many different Nations use it. Among many Plains Indians, it is seen as one of the "four sacred medicines".
Sweet grass is used for many reasons. For many tribes, its main purpose is to attract good spirits. It is also known as the "Hair of Mother Earth." Robin Wall Kimmerer wrote about sweet grass and how to pick it without harming the plant in her book Braiding Sweetgrass.
