Anthoxanthum odoratum

The Anthoxanthum odoratum, or Sweet Vernal Grass, is a small grass widespread in meadows, woods, and pastures. With a modest appearance, in small tufts of upright narrow leaves, this species has the double advantage of being resistant to water shortage and easily self-seeding in light soils. Its tufts, straw-coloured in winter, are not devoid of charm, just like its vibrant green flower spikes. Sometimes cultivated as a forage plant, the sweet vernal grass gives off a strong coumarin scent reminiscent of hay. It is the presence of this grass in cultivated fields that gives hay its smell. The same molecule is present in the sweet woodruff, which emits the same fragrance. Very hardy and remarkably understated, this small plant is lovely in rockeries and valuable for ground cover in all types of soil, in full sun or partial shade.

The Anthoxanthum odoratum, the Sweet Vernal Grass, is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial plant, non-invasive and short-lived. When mature, it reaches a height of 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20in) with a width of 20 cm (8in). Its leaves are long, narrow, upright, and thin. They are bluish-green in spring and summer, turning straw yellow in winter. Flowering occurs from April to July, depending on the weather. It takes the form of light panicles, 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3in) long, bearing initially greenish-yellow spikelets that turn straw yellow in autumn. The seeds develop in late summer and are dispersed by the wind, ensuring the species' survival in gardens and nature.

Hardy well below -15°C, the Sweet Vernal Grass is a perfect plant for dry to moist gardens and areas where the soil is poor, sandy, or rocky. It is used in low borders, as an edging plant, or in rockeries, spaced to punctuate an area or planted en masse to form a thick and dense carpet. 

Create beautiful contrasts with blue fescues and are decorative all year round. To give your garden a modern touch, add light or coloured gravel, sand, or red pumice stone around the fescues. This also helps prevent unwanted plants from growing.