Vanilla Leaf, Achlys triphylla, also known as Deer Foot, Sweet Leaf, and Sweet-after-death, grows in the damp regions of our deep foresedt areas along with Trillium, Oxalis, Fedtid Adder's-tounge, Clintonia, and the rest of the colorful sparkles that enliven the forest floor. You will find it in bloom from April through into July.
Early pioneers favored dried Vanilla Leaf because of it's sweet fragrance, while Native Americans used it as an insect repellent. Some of today's herbalists claim that it makes an excellent wild tea if processed correctly, but we can't comment on that one way or the other. We do know that it does smell good when dried out and a few of us have used it as a tent freshener while camping.