Read Next
sweet vernal grass
plant
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
- Also called:
- vernal grass
sweet vernal grass, (Anthoxanthum odoratum), fragrant perennial grass in the family Poaceae, native to Eurasia and North Africa. Sweet vernal grass is sometimes grown as a lawn grass or houseplant for its sweet scent; the fragrant coumarin in the leaves is released when the grass is mown or cut.
Sweet vernal grass is a perennial plant that grows well in acidic soils. A tufted grass, the plant features thin flat leaves and reaches about 0.5 metre (20 inches) in height. The minute wind-pollinated flowers are borne in narrow clusters and produce tiny seeds.