Braided Sweetgrass

Sweetgrass – A Sacred Traditional Medicine

Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata) is a fragrant, vanilla-scented plant considered sacred by many First Nations. It is one of the Four Sacred Medicines, alongside sage, cedar, and tobacco, in many Indigenous traditions.

Often referred to as the sacred hair of Mother Earth, sweetgrass symbolizes kindness, love, healing, and spiritual connection. Traditionally dried and braided into three strands, it may represent the mind, body, and spirit, or the past, present, and future.

When gently burned, its sweet, aromatic smoke is used in smudging ceremonies, healing circles, and prayers to purify people and spaces, carry prayers to the Creator, and invite positive energy, peace, and harmony.

A symbol of purification, unity, and spiritual healing, sweetgrass remains a deeply respected medicine in many Indigenous cultures.