Vanilla

Sweet Vernal Grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum)

With the sun and warmth we've had of late (the last few days notwithstanding) our meadow is coming along in leaps and bounds. Among the first of the grasses to flower is Sweet Vernal Grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum), a tidy, sweet-smelling species native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa. Its oblong flowerheads appear from April to June atop stiff stalks that rise from tufts of broad, flat leaves. We've only got a small patch of it, towards the far end of the garden, and one additional clump, in a host of Spanish Bluebells near the garage. Compared to the grasses that will mature later in the summer, this one is quite small, maxing out at 10-15 inches (25-40 cm). It's a perennial, but a relatively short-lived one. Widespread across the UK (and the rest of Europe), it grows freely in a variety of habitats. It's also common in much of the US.

In full flower

Sweet Vernal Grass has been widely introduced in the US as a lawn and grazing grass. Because of its vanilla-like flavour (and fresh cut-hay smell), it was once a favoured chewing grass. It's sometimes used as a flavouring (in some Russian brandies, for example), and reputedly, Norwegians used to put dried plants with stored clothes to keep them smelling sweet. We're particularly happy to have it in our pocket meadow because it's the larval food plant for a host of butterflies that we've seen in the garden: Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Small Skipper, and Essex Skipper among them. Unfortunately, its pollen is said to be particularly aggravating to those who suffer from hayfever — not good news for Mike! 

Sweet Vernal Grass in the "meadow"