The leaves of the sweet grass are collected during the summer months and dried by natural or artificial means. The dried leaves are then used to form braids made for burning and used as incense.
The vanilla-scented smoke is important in many sacred ceremonies, both among native North Americans and some indigenous groups in Europe.
The dried leaves are also used medicinally in herbal teas and essential oil can be distilled from the plant which is then used as a seasoning in foods and alcoholic beverages.
Sweet grass contains coumarin, which gives the plant its characteristic scent. Coumarin has blood-thinning properties and some research has shown that coumarin and related compounds can be effective in reducing high-protein edemas, especially lymphedema.
Coumarins are toxic substances that are known to be carcinogenic in larger doses.
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