Sage
Sage is burned in smudging ceremonies to drive out evil spirits, negative feelings and influences, and to keep negative entities away from areas where ceremonials take place. In Plains nations, the floor of the sweat lodge is frequently covered with sage, and participants rub the leaves on their bodies while in the sweat. Sage is also spread on the ground in a lodge or on an altar where the pipe touches the earth. In the Plains Sweatlodge, the floor of the structure is strewn with sage leaves for the participants to rub on their bodies during the sweat. Sage is also used in keeping sacred objects like pipes or Peyote wands safe from negative influence.

In the Sioux nation, the Sacred Pipe is kept in a bundle with sage boughs. There are two major genii and several varieties of each genus of Sage that are used for smudging. Salvia, or the herb sage used for cooking, comes in two major varieties: S. officinalis, commonly known as Garden Sage, and S. apiana, commonly known as White Sage. Salvia varieties have long been acknowledged as healing herbs, reflected in the fact that its genus name comes from the Latin root word salvare, which is the verb "to heal" or "to save." Artemisia is the genus commonly considered "Sagebrush", and is more common in the wilds out here in California. There are two major varieties to the Artemisia genus: A. californica or Common Sagebrush, and A. vulgaris or Mugwort. There are many other varieties of both Salvia and Artemisia, and all are effective in smudging.

Cedar
Cedar is burned for meditation, to bless a house. Cedar works both as a purifier and as a way to attract good energy in your direction. Cedar smoke carries prayers up to the Creator. Cedar is also spread along with sage on the floor of the sweat lodges of some tribes. Cedar branches are brushed in the air to cleanse a home during the House Blessing Ceremony Northwest Indian nations. In the Pacific Northwest, the people burn cedar for purification in much the same way as sage - it drives out negative energy; but it also brings in good influences. The spirit of cedar is considered very ancient and wise by Pacific Northwest tribes, and old, downed cedar trees are honored with offerings and prayers.

True cedar is of the Thuja and Libocedrus genii. Some Junipers (Juniperus genus) are also called "cedar", thus complicating things some. Some Juniper varieties are cleansing herbs, especially J. monosperma, or Desert White Cedar. But for smudging, the best is Western Red Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) and California Incense Cedar (Libocedrus descurrens). Cedar is burnt while praying to the Great Spirit (Usen', the Source -- also known to Plains nations as Wakan Tanka). Cedar is usually available in herb stores in chipped form, which must be sprinkled over a charcoal.

Sweetgrass
Sweetgrass invites positive energy, good spirits, and good influences. Sweetgrass can be burned after sage burning or along with sage and/or cedar burning but not on impure objects. Smudging with sweetgrass without cleansing with sage is like using perfume to mask the fact that you need to bath; you must be clean of negativity to feel the full goodness of sweetgrass spirit blessings. Sweetgrass is usually burnt after smudging with sage, to welcome in good influences after the bad had been driven out. As with cedar, burning sweetgrass while praying sends prayers up to the Creator in the smoke. Sweetgrass is also put in pipe bundles and medicine bundles along with sage to purify and protect sacred objects. Sweetgrass is a tall wild grass with a reddish bas and perfume-like, musty odor.

Sweetgrass grows mainly on the eastern side of the Rockies in Montana and adjacent Alberta, Canada. Sioux and Cherokee nations use Hierochloë odorata a sweetgrass native to their origin. Sweetgrass is braided like hair braids. It should be burnt by lighting the end of it, or (more economically) by shaving little bits of it onto charcoal.. Piñon pine needles (used more frequently by the Southwest Teneh, like the Navajo and Apache as well as the Pueblo people and the Zuni) and Copal (used by the Yaqui and in ancient times by the Azteca and the Maya) have similar effect.