Common Sweetgrass is a reddish-based perennial with slender, creeping rhizomes and leafy stems 30 to 50 mm fall. Sweetgrass is widespread in British Columbia, but seldom abundant.

Aboriginal Use

The sweet, lingering fragrance of Common Sweetgrass is due to the presence of coumarin, a fragrant crystalline compound that was once used commercially in flavouring. First Peoples throughout North America appreciated Sweetgrass for its scent. In coastal British Columbia, such as the Kitloope River valley, it was apparently used by some Haisla women to make baskets. They gathered the grass in May and June when it was about 30 cm tall.