What is a sweetgrass braid?

This is a hand-braided length of sweetgrass, Hierochloe odorata (also classified as Anthoxanthum nitens), a fragrant perennial grass of cool northern regions across North America, Europe, and Asia. The grass owes its name to coumarin, the aromatic compound behind fresh-cut hay and tonka beans, which gives sweetgrass a sweet vanilla-hay scent that actually strengthens as the grass dries.

Cultural significance

Sweetgrass is sacred to many Indigenous peoples of North America, and in some traditions it is counted among the four sacred plants alongside tobacco, sage, and cedar. The braiding is not decoration; it is part of the traditional preparation and often carries ceremonial meaning of its own. Burning aromatic plants is a documented practice in many Indigenous North American traditions, and we present sweetgrass in that spirit: factually and with respect. If you use it, we encourage learning about the traditions that have carried this plant for centuries, and being thoughtful about borrowing ceremonial language that is not yours to use.

Aroma and use

Sweetgrass smoke is sweet and vanilla-like with hay undertones. Rather than lighting the whole braid, the practical approach is to trim a small piece from the end, light it until it smolders over a heatproof dish, and extinguish it in sand afterward. Used a small piece at a time, one braid lasts many months.

Related botanicals

• Cedar Smudge — the Pacific Northwest ceremonial evergreen.
• White Sage Smudge — the California chaparral classic.

Format

Sold as a single hand-braided length. We make no health or therapeutic claims.

Storage

Store the braid in a dry place; the coumarin scent keeps well and the dried grass stays pliable enough to trim.

Sweetgrass at a glance

Botanical name

Hierochloe odorata (Anthoxanthum nitens)

Family

Poaceae (grass family)

Common names

Sweetgrass, holy grass, vanilla grass

Aromatic compound

Coumarin (sweet vanilla-hay scent)

Format

Hand-braided length