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Hierochloe odorata

Sweet Grass (Vanilla Grass, Holy Grass)

A tall, vanilla-scented grass with long, satiny, green ribbons of foliage. North American indigenous cultures use this grass as an integral part of their traditions.

  • »  AKA Anthoxanthum nitens
  • »  Forms a spreading, upright mound of gray-green foliage
  • »  Blades reach 60 cm high, then sag toward the ground, with upturned ends
  • »  Yellow flower panicles rise very slightly above the foliage
  • »  As the name suggests, this grass has a sweet vanilla scent
  • »  Bloom Time: Spring
  • »  Flower Size: 5-10 cm
  • »  Grass Type: Cool Season

Plug50
$6.83
1 Litre Low Inventory
$20.83
  • Category:Grasses
  • Hardiness Zone:3
  • Height:30-60 cm
  • Spread:50-150 cm
  • Bloom Color: Yellow
Exposure
Full Sun
Partial Sun/Shade
Soil Moisture
Moist to Wet Soils
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts Birds
Growth Rate
Fast
Attributes
Native to Ontario
Deciduous
Salt Tolerant
Flowering Time
Lt. Spr-Sum
Summer
Habit
Mounding
Spreading
Foliage Color
Gray
Green
Planting instructions
Container Plants
Additional Information about Hierochloe odorata

Native to Ontario

Cool Season Grasses: These grasses do the majority of their growing in early spring and start again when temperatures start to cool in the fall. During the warmer summer months, they stop growing and some will even go dormant. Cool season grasses flower in the spring or early summer. Most cool season grasses grow best in a consistently moist soil.
 
Dried leaves can be made into braids and burned as incense.

Growing & Maintenance Tips for Hierochloe odorata

Best grown in a wet to moist soil, in full sun to partial shade. This grass spreads aggressively by rhizomes, up to 60 cm per year, making it a good choice for erosion control. Make sure you have a large site for this grass.