Sweetgrass Braids

Hierochloe odorata

Format: 1 braid

Select Braids: Our Select braids are very fine quality and quite large, averaging about 24 inches with some as long as 30 inches. They are approximately 1 inch in diameter and 1 ounce by weight.

Regular Braids: Our regular braids average about 16-24" long and are typically thinner than the select grade.

Also Known as: Hierochloe odorata or Anthoxanthum nitens, buffalo grass, bison grass, holy grass, manna grass, Mary’s grass, seneca grass, sweetgrass, or vanilla grass

As all of our braids are hand-picked and braided, there is always variation.

Our beautiful sweetgrass braids are from Canada. These are collected by First Nations families for us each year ("First Nations" is the Canadian equivalent of "Native American"). Sweetgrass is considered sacred by many peoples of North America. The smoke of burning sweetgrass is said to purify and clear objects, places, and people. Often found in medicine bundles and sometimes packed with dance clothes to keep them fresh.

A hardy perennial herb with a sweet vanilla-like fragrance due to the presence of coumarin, sweetgrass is native to Europe and North America. The plant grows to a height of about 24 inches, with long leaves that have shiny undersides. Its name, Hierochloe odorata, literally means “fragrant holy grass,” and the plant has been regarded as sacred everywhere it has been grown and harvested. In Northern Europe, sweetgrass was scattered on the ground in front of churches on saints’ days so that a sweet fragrance would be released when people walked inside.

Sweetgrass has traditionally been used by various Native American tribes as an incense (for purification, driving out negativity, and as an offering to spirits and ancestors), as a perfume, as a stuffing for pillows and mattresses, and as an insect repellent. Many non-Native Americans have grown fond of sweetgrass for its soothing, somewhat hypnotic vanilla-like fragrance, which can be an aid to meditative practices.

NOTE: Not recommended for internal use, due to the presence of coumarin

In Magick, Sweetgrass is an excellent herb to raise vibrations in any room. It promotes peace, meditation and healing. Widely used by Native Americans for this purpose. Our regular braids average about 16-24" long and are typically thinner than the select grade. As all of our braids are hand-picked and braided, there is always variation.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.