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Hierochloe odorata (Sweet Grass)

Hierochloe odorata (Sweet Grass)

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Quantity
Regular price $ 140.60
Regular price Sale price $ 140.60
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.

$30 minimum per species for seed.

Each species requires a minimum of $30 of seed to proceed with checkout.

Pure Live Seed

Seed is provided in Pure Live Seed (PLS) unless otherwise stated.

Pure Live Seed (PLS) refers to the percentage of a seed lot that consists of the desired species and is viable (capable of germination).   

Here's why PLS is crucial for native seeds:

  • Accurate Planting:
    • PLS helps determine the actual number of viable seeds in a given weight or volume of seed.   
    • This ensures you plant the correct amount of seed to achieve the desired density and success rate.   
  • Cost-Effectiveness:
    • By knowing the PLS, you can avoid overspending on seed that may not germinate.
    • This is especially important for native seeds, which can be more expensive than some cultivated varieties.
  • Weed Control:
    • PLS helps minimize the presence of weed seeds within the seed lot.
    • This reduces competition for resources and ensures the successful establishment of the desired native plants.
  • Ecological Restoration:
    • Using high-quality native seeds with a high PLS is essential for successful ecological restoration projects.
    • It helps to re-establish diverse and resilient plant communities that support local wildlife.

Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.

0.01 pounds = 0.16 ounces

  • 0.1 pounds = 1.6 ounces
  • 0.25 pounds  = 4 ounces
  • 0.5 pounds = 8 ounces
  • 0.75 pounds = 12 ounces
  • 1.00 pounds = 16 ounces

If you're looking to bring songbirds, wild pollinators, and butterflies into your landscape, Hierochloe odorata is a standout choice. Landscapers and home gardeners value it for its strong natural deer resistance and a high floristic C-value rating of 9.0 (a top choice for habitat restoration). It performs best in full sun sunlight and mesic to wet soil conditions, making it ideal for prairie borders, rain gardens, or meadow plantings. To fit projects of any scale, we supply this species in flexible formats—including live plugs, bare-root stock, individual seed packets, and bulk Pure Live Seed (PLS) by weight.

Comprehensive Ecological & Growth Specifications

Botanical Name Hierochloe odorata
Alternate Common Names Sweet Grass, Hierochloe odorata
Plant Family Poaceae (Grass Family)
Regional Native Status Native
Native Range (States) IL, WI, IN, MI, OH, IA, MN, MO
Primary Native Habitats Calcareous Wet Prairies, Fens, Sedge Meadows
USDA Hardiness Zones Zone 3 - 8
Sunlight Exposure Full Sun
Soil Moisture Range Mesic to Wet
Soil pH Range 5.7 - 7.4
Height at Maturity 2 or Less
Spread & Growth Habit Clumping / Well-Mannered (Non-aggressive)
Root Architecture & Depth Dense Fibrous / Rhizomatous Root Network (14+ Depth)
Deer & Wildlife Resistance High to Moderate
Drought Tolerance Low
Salt Tolerance Low (Sensitive to salt and road runoff)
Larval Host Status Specialist Native Pollinators & Beneficial Insects
Specialist Insects & Wildlife Support Native Solitary Bees (Andrena, Lasioglossum spp.), Bumblebees (Bombus spp.), Songbirds (Winter Seed Forage), Beneficial Predatory Wasps
Ecological Function High-Conservation Remnant Indicator (C=8), Specialist Native Pollinator Hub, Deep Root Biomass & Carbon Sequestration, Midwest Biodiversity Keystone
Coefficient of Conservatism (C-Value) 9.0
Germination Code / Stratification A
ACOE Wetland Indicator Status FACW
Recommended Plug Spacing 8 to 12 on-center
Plant Associates Carex stricta (Tussock Sedge), Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed), Iris virginica shrevei (Blue Flag Iris), Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain), Eupatorium perfoliatum (Boneset), Chelone glabra (Turtlehead)
Seed Packet Coverage Covers 100 to 250 sq. ft.
Seeds Per Pound 110000.0
Broadcast Seeding Rate (PLS) 1.50 – 3.00 lbs/acre PLS
Toxicity & Pet Safety Non-toxic / Safe for native wildlife & domestic pets

Plant Shipping & Care

We want to ensure that our customers get what they want, a native backyard oasis. To do that, we need to follow a few simple guidelines and give you some information and pointers to make sure you get your plants delivered in a healthy state.

As a reminder, you will receive an email to confirm your pickup or shipping window just before the plants are ready. See Order Fulfillment below for seasonal fulfillment windows.

 

Choices to Receive Your Plants & Accessories

  • Retail - We only offer shipping & shipping is calculated at check out*
    • We do not offer retail pick up
  • Wholesale - Delivery is customized based on order size and location
  • Wholesale - Pickup is free

 

Order Fulfilment - When Your Plants or Other Items Will Be Ready

We take orders all year long and seed is shipped all year, but we only provide the plants to you in certain fulfillment windows to ensure healthy plants.

Wholesale Orders

  • Shipped or are Ready For Pick Up As Requested.

 

Retail & Website Orders

  • Seed Typically Ships Out Within One Week Of Order All Year Long
  • Typically, single species flats ship when ready, sometimes as soon as early to mid-April (depends on weather) through early-October.
  • Mixed species kits are batched and shipped as indicated on the product page.
  • If a plant order is placed while outside of the plant fulfillment window your plants will be reserved through your payment, however, the order will not be fulfilled and shipped until the following spring. We don't want to provide you plants when they won't be happy during the cold winter months. 
  • Early in the spring and later in the fall certain species may be dormant or partially dormant with brown leaves, however they will return to grow healthy next growing season.
  • Your order may arrive in several different shipments.
  • If certain plants within an order will not be available until a later date, we may choose to hold the full order until all are ready.  In certain circumstances, we may choose to send them in two separate shipments 
  • Fulfillment is always dependent upon plant availability.  We try our best but sometimes plants do not overwinter well and perish.  If a plant is on back order you will receive an email indicating the estimated shipping date.  If we can not provide the plant we will first notify you and give you an option of substitution or a refund of that individual species.
  • Plants are typically only packaged and shipped on Mondays to ensure they do not sit in the harsh delivery facility for extended periods of time over the weekend. You will receive a confirmation email once your delivery has been shipped and to estimate your delivery date.
  • Apparel & accessories are ready typically within one to two weeks. See product page for holiday shipping.

Where We Ship

 

 

        What to Expect When Receiving Your Delivery

        • Your plants will be packaged with the utmost care
        • We will need to cut back certain plants prior to shipping. This seems counter-intuitive, however, the fewer leaves the less water the plants can lose during shipping, resulting in healthier plants for you. This also enables the plants to fit within the protective packaging and shipped safely.

         

           Shipments

          • Larger plant shipments will look similar to the picture below with a tray of your plants and a cardboard box to protect them during shipping.

           

           

          What to Do With Your Plants After  Receiving Your Delivery

          • Unpack your order IMMEDIATELY
          • Inspect for damage and report any issues immediately to Natives@NaturalCommunities.net
          • Water your plants
          • Install your plants as quickly as possible and water the entire garden area thoroughly
          • If you cannot install your plants immediately
            • Some plants may not be in a container, put them into some kind of a container such as a paper cup with loose soil until installation
            • Make sure each plant is receiving the appropriate amount of light.
            • Continue to water daily each morning and possibly again in the afternoon
            • No additional fertilizer is needed
          How to install native plugs

          Seed Shipping & Care

          There is a minimum order requirement of $30 for each seed species. Seed ships all year and typically ships within a week of an order being placed.

          We have attempted to put together some basic information regarding native seed installation, establishment, and maintenance.  We hope you find it helpful.  If you need further assistance on native seed establishment, please schedule a free consolation call here.

          Consultation Services

          Ecosystem Restoration Considerations

          Native Seed Establishment Best Management Practices

          Native Seed Stratification Best Management Practices

          View full details

          Solving a Site Problem? Get Expert Advice + Get Store Credit

          Whether you're fighting severe erosion, replacing invasive species, designing a pollinator haven, or seeding large acreage, choosing the wrong species wastes time and money. Talk 1-on-1 with a restoration ecologist to map out the exact species, plug counts, or seed mixes for your soil and goals. Book a consultation and get all or a portion credited directly back to your order.

          Questions & Answers

          Have a Question?

          Ask a Question
          • Interested in buying Sweetgrass for NW Indiana home lawn. If I mowed it regularly would it continue to survive? My neighborhood ordinance requires grass to stay under 6 inches at all times. Does mowing produce that vanilla smell? Is it safe for pets to chew? How far apart should I plant each plug? Does sweetgrass grow in shaded areas? Will it do alright in acidic or sandy soil? I just want to plant it where it will grow best and I want it to take over the backyard as long as it won’t be unhappy mowed.708-362-4891

            Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata) as a Lawn Alternative

            Sweetgrass holds profound cultural and ceremonial significance for Indigenous peoples, who have utilized and managed it for generations. Traditional harvesting practices inherently incorporate a principle of reciprocity, which the plant appears to benefit from. In ecological terms, this suggests the species is highly responsive to regular harvesting—a dynamic that is relevant when considering its performance under mechanical management like mowing.

            Performance and Ecological Considerations

            While we focus primarily on ecological restoration and have not utilized sweetgrass as a conventional turf substitute, we can project its performance based on its known ecological characteristics:

            • Response to Shearing (Mowing): Sweetgrass's positive response to picking suggests it may tolerate mowing in optimal settings like a wet prairie. However, traditional ceremonial picking is selective and mindful, while conventional mowing involves consistent, broad shearing. A persistent shearing regime may impact the plant's long-term health or density compared to selective harvesting especially in dry settings like your sandy soil. A pilot test plot is highly recommended to accurately assess its vitality and aesthetic under regular mowing.

            • Density and Foot Traffic: We cannot definitively confirm its suitability for high-traffic areas without testing. Observations from established beds show it can successfully creep and persist at the edge of mown areas.

            • Aroma: The characteristic sweet, vanilla-like fragrance is released upon tissue disturbance. It is reasonable to anticipate this aroma will be released during mowing.

            • Soil and Moisture Preference: Sweetgrass thrives in moist to wet conditions and prefers full sun, though it can tolerate partial shade. Its robustness may be compromised in areas with naturally sandy or excessively well-drained soils, such as those common in Northwest Indiana, which tend to experience more severe summer drought stress. Supplemental irrigation might be necessary to ensure establishment and maintain density in such locations.

            Safety Note

            Regarding pet safety, we advise checking with a veterinary toxicologist or a reputable pet-focused resource, as the safety profile often varies depending on the specific species and quantity ingested.