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Sweet Vernalgrass

Sweet Vernalgrass

Anthoxanthum odoratum

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How common: Common

Sweet Vernalgrass is a tuft-forming perennial grass known for its sweet, hay-like scent. It is common in meadows, pastures, lawns and along roadsides across much of Europe. The short, narrow flower head appears in early summer and often shows dangling yellow pollen.

Did you know?

  • Crushing the plant releases a sweet, vanilla-like scent from coumarin.
  • When in bloom, yellow pollen sacs often hang out from the tight flower head.

About the species

Identification

Forms soft tussocks, 15–60 cm tall. Stems are hollow with firm joints, standing upright. Leaves are flat, smooth, pale green, 3–5 mm wide and shorter than the stem; at the leaf base there is a short blunt inner flap. Flower head is a tight, narrow cylinder 2–5 cm long, green to straw-coloured; in bloom, yellow pollen may dangle from it. A key clue is the strong sweet scent when the plant is crushed or dried. Early flowering and the short, dense head help tell it from many similar grasses. Flowers in Finland in May–June.

Plant group

Grasses, sedges and rushes

Habitat

meadow

Flowering

May–Jun

About the habitat

Grows in open grasslands, pastures, lawns, roadsides and on rocky ground; tolerates dry to moderately moist soils. Common throughout the country. The typical southern form is common in the south; a smaller northern form is common in the north, including fell snowbed sites.

Sources

Photo: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AnthoxanthumOdoratum.jpg

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Kulttuuriympäristöt: kedot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40582

Text: Pinkka: A Pohjolan kasveja - Abies-Allium, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40582

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuoksusimake

See also