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Hierochloe odorata - Sweetgrass, Vanilla grass, holy grass, Seneca grass, alpine sweetgrass
Sweetgrass was and still is used ceremonially through burning the dried and braided grass stems for an incense or smudge. The fragrant smoke is used for purification and to carry prayers to the Great Spirit. Hierochloë literally translates from Greek as sacred (hieros) and grass (chloë) or "holy grass" (Hitchcock et al. 1973). Indian people call sweetgrass the “grass that never dies.” Even when it is cut, it retains its fragrance and spirit (Youngbuck pers. comm. 1999). Today, sweetgrass is used intertribally throughout the country. Sweetgrass was used ceremonially by many tribes, including the Omaha, Ponca, Kiowa, Dakota, Lakota, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Pawnee, and Winnebago (Jordan 1965, Moerman 1986). The Cheyenne, Blackfeet, and Lakota use sweetgrass in the Sun Dance (Kindscher 1992, Hart 1976). Sweetgrass symbolizes life's growth for the Cheyenne (Ibid.).
Sweetgrass was the most popular perfumery of the Blackfeet, who braided it and kept it with their clothes like a sachet or carried it in small bags (McClintock 1909). The Cheyenne mixed sweetgrass with pineapple weed (Matricaria matricarioides) to use as a perfume (Hart 1976). The Thompson Indians used an infusion of the plant as a wash for the hair and body (Moerman 1986). The Blackfeet and the Gros Ventre used sweetgrass as a hair rinse to achieve a lustrous shine (Hart 1976).
Blackfeet women made a tea from sweetgrass that was drunk to stop vaginal bleeding after birth and to expel the placenta (Hellson 1974). Women burned sweetgrass braids after their moon time to finish the cleansing. Blackfeet men drank sweetgrass tea to treat venereal infections. Both sexes drank a tea from this plant to treat coughs and sore throats. Windburn and chapping were treated through an infusion of sweetgrass stems soaked in water or a salve of sweetgrass water and grease. The sweetgrass water was also used as an eyewash. Sweetgrass was mixed with seeds of meadow rue (Thalictrum occidentale) to make a tea to clear congested nasal passages (Kindscher 1992). The Karok of northern California used an infusion of sweetgrass to treat women who had suffered a miscarriage (Strike 1994). Pregnant women drank this infusion to arrest fetus growth. The Karok also fed sweetgrass to sick dogs. Among the Chippewa, sweetgrass was used as an incense or smudge in ceremony, as a spiritual medicine, and in basketweaving (Densmore 1974).
The use of incense is more characteristic of the Plains Indians than of the Algonquian tribes Ibid.). According to Densmore, “Men would smudge before hunting to purify body and spirit. Medicine men kept sweetgrass in the bag with their medicinal roots and herbs. Strands of sweetgrass were made into coiled basketry by means of cotton thread. This took the form of bowls, oval and round, and of flat mats. Birch bark was sometimes used as the center of these baskets, with the coils of sweetgrass being sewed around it.
Sweetgrass was used in coiled baskets, primarily in the northeast. The Paiute used sweetgrass woven with willow bark in the hoods of cradleboards. The Central-Northern Algonkians, Iroquoians, and Hurons edged woodsplint basketry and vessel borders with sweetgrass (Turnbaugh et al. 1986). Central-Northern Algonkian peoples are known for their production of flexible weft-twined bags, and some created bundle-coiled baskets of sweetgrass. Northern New England basketry intermixed wood splints with twisted or braided sweetgrass in one basket (Pelletier 1982, Turnbaugh et al. 1986). In the northeast, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Winnebago, Menominee, Mohawk, Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, and Abenaki (Turnbaugh et al. 1986) made coiled baskets of sweetgrass. In the Plains cultural area, rawhide containers enjoyed much greater popularity than did woven or stitched basketry. The Arapaho and Mandan may have also used sweetgrass in their coiled baskets.
Sweetgrass was also considered holy in Western Europe and was strewn on festivals.
After the plants have established and grown to a minimum height of 4 to 6 inches (to avoid damaging small seedlings), routinely weed and remove unwanted vegetation. This will reduce competition for light, nutrients, and water, and encourage vigorous plant growth and development. Sweetgrass prefers a moist environment, so regularly water the site. The rhizomes (underground, horizontal stems) develop early and will emerge during the first growing season.
The grass will continue to spread if left unattended. The leaves will reach a length of approximately 12-15 inches and can be harvested once or twice a year. The foliage is very relaxed and it will be necessary to carefully lift the leaves and cut the stems close to the ground (leave 1 to 2 inches of plant stem). The actual number of harvests per year will depend on climatic conditions, seasonal timing, and the traditional environmental knowledge of the particular indigenous group tending the grass. Plan the final harvest (late summer in northern climes) so that there will be adequate time for the plants to prepare for the onset of cold temperatures and winter conditions. If this natural hardening-off process does not occur, it will eventually have a detrimental effect on the long-term persistent and survival of the stand. Fertilizing is not recommended in the first year of establishment, as weeds would reap the most benefit during that time. The use of a balanced, all-around, granular fertilizer is recommended after the first year.
Sweetgrass develops a vanilla scent after the flowers have bloomed and is especially aromatic after being dried. The leaves are dried and woven into braids; the strands represent mind, body, and spirit. Harvest after blooming and before frost for the best scent. Cut (don't pull--this will ensure you have plenty for next year) leaves you want and hang them to dry in the sun for three days.
It is traditional to give the Earth something in exchange when harvesting. A bit of tobacco is often used, but a handful of compost would also be fine. To braid, place in warm water for a few minutes, then braid and hang in the sun to dry. Sweetgrass grows in a ring around the Earth in the northern hemisphere and is hardy to zone 3. It likes water and naturally grows in wet meadows, low prairies, on the edges of marshes, in bogs, on the shady banks of streams, around lakes, and in cool, moist mountain valleys. The plant gets 1.5 feet/60 cm high, but the leaves can be 3 feet long--they bend back to the earth.
Because this plant does not often produce seeds, they are expensive & hard to find. We've spent over 5 years searching these down. These are not husked and so will float in water -they are viable seeds, however.
Site Preparation:
The site should be prepared well in advance of planting, either late in the fall or very early in the spring.
Preparation includes the following:
removal of all weeds
rototilling or handdigging so that the soil is loose and friable
raking or smoothing to a level, clump-free grade
packing or rolling to firm the surface (afterwards, only light foot imprints should be visible when walked across)
and moistening the soil evenly to a depth of 2 to 3 inches (or when surface puddling is evident) with a sprinkler or hand-held spray nozzle.
Seeding:
Sweetgrass is a cool-season species that requires a period of cold temperatures before it will germinate from seed. Late fall, late winter, or early spring is the best time to plant the sweetgrass seed. At the time of seeding, the soil should be moistened to a depth of 1 inch. The seed should be fully ripened (very firm when squeezed between fingernails or when clipped with a fingernail clipper) and free of debris. Sweetgrass seed is very small at approximately 1.1 million seeds per pound. Depending on the amount of seed available and the plant density desired, the seed can be dribbled in rows at a rate of up to 25 seeds per linear foot, or broadcast at 50 seeds per square foot. This may optimally result in 6 plants per row and/or 13 plants per square foot (seed germination tests have averaged 25-30%). Planting depth should not exceed 0.25 to 0.5 inches. It is very important after seed placement that the area be re-rolled or packed to ensure satisfactory seed-to-soil contact. The tiny seed can be easily washed away, so follow planting immediately with a light watering. Keep the area moist until seedling emergence, in about 10-14 days. In soils (clayey) that are prone to crusting, subsequent periodic, short-duration watering may be necessary.
approx 100-120 seeds
Information from the NRCS Plant Guide from usda.gov:
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