Sweet grass is a native grass and a perennial. In other corners of the world it is known as holy grass. Almost all Native American tribes used sweet grass for flavoring, weaving and also as a medicinal grass. The vanilla-scented braids were traditionally burned as incense and as a peace offering in a manner similar to white sage (salvia apiana). Sweet grass soon came to be regarded as much more than just an ordinary grass though. Sweet grass has actually been directly sowed into the heart and soul of America. We can clearly see that from the long list of notorious tribes which include the Lakotoa to the Cheyenne to the Blackfoot to the Omaha to the Sioux, all of which so deeply held this grass sacred as a testament of the power and energy of this single plant. Today it is still grown for the same uses it has been grown for throughout history and as a landscaping plant. It links together generations who have all found something special in the single plant. This single fiber of human being is becoming rare in the wild and should be preserved.
Growing Information:
Sweet grass is a very frost-hardy perennial grass that is spread by rhizomes. It usually prefers generally cool moist locations such as at the edge of a meadow. Seeds should be buried with just a thin dusting of soil. A moist fertile soil is ideal. By nature, it can be difficult to start from seeds, and seedlings tend to have low vigor. If germination does not occur within 6 weeks, you can cold stratify them. Despite the challenge from seed, once established, plants quickly spread by rhizomes which can be divided to form new plants. Plants prefer full sun to partial shade. Sweet grass does well in containers or in the ground, but should be kept from any type of drought and should not be exposed to extremely low temperatures. In most areas, this presents no issue as these limits are well below freezing. Plants will typically top out at about 2 feet in height.
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