Sweet Vernal Grass
An aromatic grass note combining a hay-like coumarin sweetness with soft green detail.
Green
About Sweet Vernal Grass
Sweet vernal grass, Anthoxanthum odoratum, is an aromatic member of the grass family. Known as flouve in French, it grows in temperate grasslands and supplies an absolute used in perfumery. Its naturally high coumarin content contributes to its characteristic hay-like smell.
Scent Profile
A dry hay impression meets gentle sweetness and greener grassy detail. The character suggests cut vegetation as it dries, with a warmer and softer texture than a sharply green leaf note alone. Its coumarinic aspect can recall the sweetness associated with tonka bean, while the grass-like impression keeps the material connected to a meadow rather than confectionery.
Use in Perfumery
Flouve provides a bridge between brighter herbs or citrus and warmer woody or sweet materials. Paired with musk and vetiver, it can support a dry grassy texture; beside fruit, it adds a less sugary form of softness. Parfums de la Bastide lists it in the heart of Espiègle alongside basil, blood orange and almond milk, bringing a grassy aromatic detail into a citrus and milky composition.
From Grass to Extract
Biolandes describes harvesting cultivated grass in southwestern France, drying the aerial parts outdoors and then extracting them. Sweet vernal grass names a particular botanical species, whereas hay is a broader fragrance impression. Their related aromatic qualities do not make the two note names interchangeable.
