Hierochloe odorata

Most would recognize this member of the Poaceae by its common name, sweetgrass, or more readily when its leaves are braided together.

I came across a booth selling sweetgrass braids at a local art fair. I was feeling nostalgic and drifted back to my Flagstaff days, remembering that distinctive mellow aroma. My friend would burn her braid daily, which always gave me a warm feeling upon entering her home. While at the booth, the vendor told me that it was a native grass of Central New York. So I bought the braid, brought it home, and began filling my house with a smell of the past.

Sure enough, Hierochloe odorata is native throughout Canada, New England, and Central New York. According to the USDA site, it isn't found specifically in Onondaga County. However I'm keeping my hopes up that I will find it hiding out come the spring.
Sweetgrass has been used in a variety of ways throughout many American Indian Cultures. It has been used as an incense ceremonially, medicinally, and in basketry. Recently sweetgrass has been used in restoration plantings to combat erosion of wetland slopes.

Vi Hart-Doodles with Plants

Thank you Vi Hart for this video

Fascination of Plants Day

Fascination of Plants Day A day dedicated to plants, many countries have already joined. Australia has started a video competition, of ...plants!

アルソミトラ・マクロカルパの飛行-Alsomitra macrocarpa

An Alsomitra macrocarpa seed, ready for take off.  After watching the video it is easy to see that modern aircraft could have been created with this seed in mind.  I am in the middle of a mind-turning botanical book, An Orchard Invisible, and am engrossed in the chapter about flying seeds.  Jonathon Silvertown writes with a magnetic flare for the botanical world, I highly recommend his book. 

Moved

After a long haul of a move across the United States (Oregon to New York), I'm finally feeling settled in. I landed with a thud in Syracuse, and began grasping for some sort of botanical outlet. What I found might surprise those not in Syracuse, and for that matter maybe some that reside here. Syracuse is one of ten cities that the EPA has named as a model city for green infrastructure. Now the Oncenter, where the local hockey and indoor soccer games are played is home to one of the largest greenroofs in Central New York, and Syracuse plans to build many more of them. On top of that, the city and Onondaga County are installing rain gardens throughout the city as well! How exciting was this to discover!

Although it isn't as wonderful as it seems. It would be great if these types of projects could be implemented to prevent pollution from beginning, but not in this case. I'm sorry to say but probably not in any case, we are a culture of destroy first and fix later. In Syracuse their "Save the Rain" project has been jump started because the city, and Onondaga Lake were so polluted the community through a nonprofit organization, Atlantic States Legal Foundation, sued Onondaga County in 1988. After, there was plans to build several sewage plants around the city, one in the heart of their downtown. Then a savior came, County Executive Joanie Mahoney, who halted the plans of the sewage plants, and instead had a better idea. She wanted to do things a different way, one that might not destroy a city, but possibly make it grow. Now Save the Rain is getting national recognition and has made Syracuse a forerunner in green infrastructure.

I had previously liked the Onondaga County Save the Rain project on facebook, (you should too), and was notified of a public forum at the local zoo. Since I was having a hard time digging through the internet for information, I decided to head over and meet some people. It was an informative and invigorating two hours. All at once access to more information than I had after days of online searching, was at my fingertips. I also had the opportunity to talk and ask questions to many knowledgable folks.

From that night on, everywhere I go in Syracuse I notice a little here and there of the work that is being done throughout the city. On my daily outing with my dog, Carrol, we walk through the James Pass Arboretum, which is currently a work in progress of two raingardens. As I drive to my house I pass a newly renovated parking lot on Fayette street, and I just discovered today that my neighborhood library is in the process of receiving a greenroof makeover, if it wasn't cool enough already?!

A great start in the Botanical/Environmental search of my new home; Syracuse, New York.