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What Is Vetiver?

Vetiver is a plant with many purposes, ranging from its use as an ingredient in the vast majority of high-end perfumes to its role in conserving surrounding soil and water. With roots in India, vetiver is a form of clump grass which has been cultivated throughout the world. Over the centuries, this sweet-smelling grass has been put to use by indigenous cultures and modern ones, and it remains an essential crop today.

  1. Function

    • The vetiver plant is most frequently used for the sweet, earthy fragrance extracted from its roots, which is then used to create essential oils. Vetiver essential oil is estimated to be included in 90% of all perfumes sold in the Western world, and is also frequently used in aromatherapy candles and incense.

    History

    • Traditionally, this type of grass was considered a medicinal plant and it was included in various remedies by cultures across South Asia and Africa. In India, people still weave vetiver roots into house mats to help cool their home interiors during long, hot summers. Some Indians place a small pouch filled with vetiver into their drinking water to add flavor.

    Identification

    • Vetiver grows up to 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) high and can widen into clumps measuring 1 meter (more than 3 feet) or more. This fragrant grass grows in tall blades with long, thin leaves on which purple flowers bloom. Vetiver is different from most grasses in that its root system descends about 2 (6 feet 6 inches) to 4 meters (13 feet) into the ground rather than spreading horizontally.

    Geography

    • A native Indian plant, vetiver is an automatically recurring grass of the Poaceae plant species that was given its name by India's Tamil ethnic group. In the northern and western regions of India, the plant is widely called Khus, and it came to be known as cuscus grass in English. While this type of grass originated in India, these days vetiver is grown in countries across the globe, with other major cultivators including Haiti, Java and Reunion Island.

    Benefits

    • Vetiver is a non-invasive plant species, meaning that it re-grows without any outside help and is easy to cultivate and control. Its particular root structure makes vetiver an ideal plant to aid in erosion control in areas of the world with hotter climates. Since the its roots grow two to four meters downward , vetiver acts as a protective plant to stabilize rice paddies, sloping fields, and riverbanks. Vetiver's tendency to grow in tightly packed clumps also allows the grass to serve as a blockade against excess water runoff.

      Indeed, an entire soil conservation project known as the Vetiver System has developed in recent years based on this grass' non-invasive nature and ability to aid in stabilizing surrounding earth and water systems.

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