Keep sweetgrass sunny and wet

By Emilie Corbiere

Sweetgrass has been used in First Nations ceremonies for centuries and often times people will say they can smell it when driving down the road.

Walpole Island is famous for the longest sweetgrass in Ontario – it can grow up to four feet high — but what if you want to grow it yourself at home in a garden?

There are a few important things to remember. Sweetgrass usually grows near water, so keep it well hydrated in a spot that receives lots of sunshine.

If you are planning on growing sweetgrass in a garden with other plants, I suggest you grow it in a bucket or container because sweetgrass is “aggressive” and might crowd out other nearby plants.

When it’s ready to be harvested, don’t pull sweetgrass out by the roots. Cut stems about an inch from the ground. This way, it’ll grow back twice as fast.

Once you have cut it, give it a rinse or soak it in a tub full of water to wash away any dirt or bugs. Pat it dry, tie into dime-sized bundles and hang upside down to totally dry within a day or two.

If you prefer, you can braid it first and then hang it upside down to dry. Just remember that you’ll have to replace your tying string because the grass will shrink quite a bit once it’s dry.