Common Name: Holy Grass

General Information

Hierochloe odorata is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.60 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

The plant contains coumarin, this is toxic if taken internally[] and is sometimes considered to be carcinogenic[].

Botanical References

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Range

Widespread throughout the subarctic and northern temperate zone

Habitat

Wet banks in only a few sites in Scotland[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a damp position in a rich soil but succeeds in most soils including quite dry conditions[]. Grows best in a sunny position[].
The plants have a running root system and can spread aggressively when grown in suitable conditions[].
The plant, as it dries, emits a powerful scent of newly mown hay[].
Many botanists have reclassified this plant to Anthoxanthum nitens[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[]. Small and fiddly to use. It almost certainly does not contain coumarin and should be safe to use.

An essential oil from the leaves is used as a food flavouring in sweets and soft drinks. It has a strong vanilla-like flavour[].
The leaves are added to vodka as a flavouring[].

The plant is said to be used as a colouring agent[] but no more details are given.

Medicinal

A tea made from the leaves is used in the treatment of fevers, coughs, sore throats, chafing and venereal infections[, ]. It is also used to stop vaginal bleeding and to expel afterbirth[].
The stems can be soaked in water and used to treat windburn and chapping and as an eyewash[].
Some caution is advised when using this plant internally, see the notes above on toxicity[].
The leaves are harvested in the summer and dried for later use[].

Smoke from the burning leaves has been inhaled in the treatment of colds[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant has a very aggressive root system and has been planted to stabilize banks[].

Other Uses

The dried leaves are used as an incense[, , ], they were formerly also used as a strewing herb[, , ] and have been used as a stuffing in pillows and mattresses[]. They have also been used as an insect repellent in the clothes cupboard where they impart a nice smell to the clothes[, ].

The leaves are used to make aromatic baskets[, , , , ]. The wet leaves can be sewn together, dried until they are tight and then resin used over the stitches to make a waterproof container[].

The leaves can be soaked in water to make a tonic hair wash[].

An essential oil distilled from the leaves is used in perfumery where it acts as an excitant and fixative for other aromas[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in situ and only just cover the seed[]. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks.
If the seed is in short supply it can be sown in the cold frame in the spring. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.
Division in spring or summer[]. Very simple, virtually any part of the root will regrow to make a new plant[].