Photo by Paul Roberts
Photo by Sue Corcoran
In 2007 and 2008 local weavers came to
harvest sweetgrass on Kiawah Island for
their baskets.
heat, and drought. Due to a decrease of sweetgrass in its natural habitat, attempts
have been made to grow sweetgrass for basket making in the rich farm soil on the
Sea Islands. It grows well, but the characteristics of the plant that have made it
valuable for basket making are diminished. The leaves which are naturally curled
on themselves begin to open and flatten, becoming brittle. The lesson here is that
in order to be used to make a sturdy vessel the plants must have endured tough
conditions. What doesn’t kill it, makes it stronger.
Sweetgrass makes an excellent landscape plant for dry, sunny sites. It does not
like competition from other plants, which is why it naturally occurs in areas where
many other plants do not survive. Plants should be spaced two to three feet on
center. Sweetgrass looks most striking when in bloom and viewed with the sunrise
behind it. When it is covered in dew and backlit, it resembles a mass of pink cotton
candy. It is particularly striking when combined with yellow, fall-flowering plants
such as goldenrods or yellow asters. These are the plants that naturally grow and
bloom at the same time as the sweetgrass.
Maintenance of sweetgrass is simple. After plants are three years or more old or
they will develop dead material or thatch in the clumps. Plants can be cut back to
about six inches or raked with a hard rake to remove the dead stubble. Harvesting
the grass for basket making actually helps prevent this buildup of dead material.
The harvesters pull the leaf blades from the shaft. This does not pull out roots but
simply thins the leaves. The plants should not be mulched heavily or irrigated
frequently (particularly overhead irrigation). This will lead to rot and fungus that
will shorten the life span of the grass. With proper maintenance individual plants
could live for as long as 15 years. I am grateful that I live in a place “Where the
Sweetgrass Grows.” NK
Karl Ohlandt is the Landscape Ecologist for the Spring Island Trust.
Sweetgrass photos by Kathy Keane
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