# sweet vernal grass (*Anthoxanthum odoratum*) Sweet vernal grass is a lovely green plant that grows in fields and meadows. It has a sweet smell, especially when it blooms in spring, making it a favorite among butterflies and bees! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 16 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![sweet vernal grass](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/AnthoxanthumOdoratum.jpg&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AnthoxanthumOdoratum.jpg) ## Appearance The sweet vernal grass has slender, upright stems and flat, narrow leaves. It features a pale green, sometimes purplish, compact flower spike, or panicle, which is its most distinctive visual characteristic. This makes it visually different from many other grasses. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Poales - **Family:** Poaceae - **Genus:** Anthoxanthum ## Interesting facts - Farmers sometimes call its pleasant scent the "smell of summer hay"! - It's one of the very first grasses to flower in spring, often in April! - Its wonderful sweet smell comes from a special chemical called coumarin! - This grass's scientific name, "odoratum," means fragrant in Latin! ## Special abilities - **Sweet Scent Shield:** Sweet vernal grass produces coumarin, which gives it a sweet smell but also deters some herbivores from eating too much. - **Spring Sprouter:** Sweet vernal grass can grow and flower early in the spring, allowing it to grab sunlight before taller plants emerge. - **Airborne Pollen:** This grass releases its pollen into the wind, letting the breeze carry it to other plants for reproduction. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 20-60 cm - **Spread:** 10-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.6-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Cow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cow) (*Bos taurus*) — Cattle graze on its leaves in pastures. - **Eaten by:** [Sheep](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sheep) (*Ovis aries*) — Sheep often graze on this grass in fields. - **Eats:** [Meadow Grasshopper](https://www.snappit.app/explore/meadow-grasshopper) (*Chorthippus parallelus*) — Grasshoppers might feed on its leaves and stems. ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. - [Grass-Like](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grass-like): Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always stay on paths when exploring fields and be careful not to pick too many plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify sweet vernal grass? Compare seed heads, stem shape, how leaves attach, and the joint where leaf meets stem. A patch of mown lawn rarely shows enough for an exact ID. Grass Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is sweet vernal grass? 20-60 cm ### How wide does sweet vernal grass spread? 10-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on sweet vernal grass? 0.6-1 cm ### When does sweet vernal grass bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is sweet vernal grass edible? No ### Is sweet vernal grass toxic? Mild ### What is sweet vernal grass's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Bear Meadows Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bear-meadows-natural-area) — Pennsylvania, US · Nature Reserve - [Cambridge Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cambridge-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Plant Collections Network](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/plant-collections-network) — Pennsylvania, US · Botanical Garden - [Shenipsit Trail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shenipsit-trail) — Connecticut, US · Trail - [Southwick's Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/southwicks-zoo) — Massachusetts, US · Zoo - [Clear Creek State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/clear-creek-state-forest) — Pennsylvania, US · Forest [View all places to see sweet vernal grass](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/sweet-vernal-grass) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Sweet Vernal Grass: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sweet-vernal-grass)