Sweetgrass – Simcoe County Master Gardener

Simcoe County Master Gardeners

Grow Natives!

PLANT PROFILE

COMMON NAME: Sweetgrass

BINOMIAL: Hierochloe odorata aka Anthoxanthum nitens

Family	Poaceae (Grass)
Cdn Native Range	Eastern Canada
Natural habitat	marshes, wet meadows, wetland edges
Type	cool season grass
Features	yellow foliage in the fall; vanilla fragrance, also when dried
Growth habit	slender arching leaves that flow from the crown; spreads quickly via rhizomes
Mature height	30–60cm (12–24”) plant height; 60–90 cm (24-36”) leaf length
Mature spread	50–150 cm (20-60”)
Life span	more than 2 years
Cdn Hardiness Zone	zone 3 or lower
Growing conditions	sun/part shade
Soil conditions	moist to wet; adapts to average moisture
Watering needs	must be kept moist which could require daily watering esp. while establishing
Fertilizer needs	none during the first year, then a balanced all-round fertilizer if needed
Tolerance	salt
Maintenance rank	can be challenging to keep moist especially when first planted
Maintenance needs	can be harvested once or twice/year once the leaves reach maturity, allowing adequate time after the last harvesting for the plant to prepare for winter
Bloom	inflorescence are spikelets with more than 1 flower; yellowish brown; blooms in late spring – early summer
Fruit	caryopsis
Pollinator support	unknown
Environmental support	potential for use for erosion control; attracts birds
Garden Use	rain garden, ground cover
Risks & Cautions	can be moderately invasive due to prolific rhizome production; sensitive to grazing by small mammals eg. rabbits, dogs
Notes	sacred to the Indigenous people in North America who braid and burn it as a cultural practice and use it for medicinal purposes; used for basket weaving

References: In Our Nature; Native Plant Trust Go Botany; North American Native Plant Assn; L. Johnson and S. Colla. A Garden for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Centre; NVK nurseries; NRCS Plant Guide, US Department of Agriculture.