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Violetsblew

Photo of Muhlenbergia rigens foliage, form by Stan Shebs

Photo by Stan ShebsView Original Photo

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 license.

Photo of Muhlenbergia rigens form by Dancing Oaks Nursery

Photo of Muhlenbergia rigens close-up, flower by Curtis Clark

Photo of Muhlenbergia rigens close-up by Stan Shebs

Photo of Muhlenbergia rigens woven by Annie's Annuals & Perennials

Photo of Muhlenbergia rigens form by Annie's Annuals & Perennials

Muhlenbergia rigens

Also Known As

Epicampes rigens
Muhlenbergia marshii
Muhlenbergia mundula
California Deer Grass
Deer Grass
Deergrass

Plant type

perennial, grass / grass like

size

H: 3'-4'
W: 3'-5'

planting zones

6b-10a

More Options

Muhlenbergia rigens plant details

Muhlenbergia rigens is an evergreen perennial grass (or grassy in appearance) or perennial with green foliage. In fall and summer cream and tan flowers emerge. Features grassy texture. Grows well with sun - mostly sun and occasional - low water. Drought tolerant once established. Prefers to be dry in summer. Adapts to various soil conditions. Does well in average, clay, gritty, rocky and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something heat tolerant, seaside / salt tolerant and verticillium wilt resistant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Muhlenbergia rigens

Plant type: perennial grass (or grassy in appearance) or perennial
Plant family: poaceae
Foliage: evergreen green
Mature size: 3 FT - 5 FT - wide, 3 FT - 4 FT - tall
Flowers: cream and tan blooms in fall and summer
Uses: border plant, container plant, edging plant, hell strip, xeric

GROWING CONDITIONS for Muhlenbergia rigens

USDA Zones: 6b - 10a
Sun exposure: sun - mostly sun
Watering frequency: occasional - low
Resistant to: deer, heat, seaside / salt and verticillium wilt
Soil needs: average, clay, gritty, rocky and well-drained

Nursery contributed plant descriptions

"A clumping, cool-season grass of unusual beauty and adaptability" (Green-lee)... choice for specimen or massing, this drought-tolerant native forms 8" clumps of grey-green leaves topped with showy 3' whiplike flower stalks. S/M-D

By: Forestfarm

In fall, this grass transforms itself into a living, kinetic sculpture in your garden! 3-4’ of fine textured symmetry, rippling with the softest whisper of a breeze – you’ll love it! Sun, well drained soil….drought tolerant and deer proof. Try one in a prominent corner (or three!). A secret rave… Z7

By: Secret Garden Growers

Definitely in our list of top 10 favorite grasses, Deer Grass has extremely fine texture and a fountain effect. (Filamentosa could have been as apt an epithet as rigens.) Stunning and more cascading when covered with frost! 4 ft tall x 5 ft wide. Minimum temperature: 0°F Sorry, grasses and sedges cannot be shipped to California.

By: Dancing Oaks Nursery

A long-time resident of California and other southwestern states, this semievergreen Muhlenbergia yields upright, thin and arrowlike silvery inflorescences reaching beyond the narrow, 18 in. high gray-green foliage. Creating a shimmery veiling effect in the landscape and adding pizzazz to dried arrangements, the reflective flowering stalks bend gracefully as they age. Let Deer Grass weave its way around the contrasting horizontal form of Arctostaphylos 'Vancouver Jade', or superimpose it against Lobelia tupa.

By: Digging Dog Nursery

A large evergreen bunchgrass grows 3' tall and 3' wide - easy to grow, even without summer water. This robust grass grows fast and will normally grow to a mature size in a season or two. It will also help to control erosion due to its extensive root system. It was commonly used for making baskets by local Native Americans. Remove old leaves to keep a clean look. Landscape uses: Accent, mixed border, provides interesting grassland texture. Native to California and is also found outside of California, but is confined to western North America. The young shoots are browsed by a variety of animals. Deergrass's dense stands and extensive roots act as a biofilter effective for herbicide, pesticide and particulate removal and breakdown It was commonly used for making baskets by local Native Americans. Found in sandy to gravely places, canyons, stream bottoms. Communities located in Valley Grassland, Chaparral, Yellow Pine Forest, Wetland-riparian Between 0 and 7000 feet.

By: The Watershed Nursery

Stephen Edwards says in his article, Ten Splendid Grasses, Last spring, before the largest patch in the Regional Parks Botanic Garden had developed its new flowering culms, I found a woman stretched out snoozing among and upon the inviting bunches. She was shocked when I showed her the label, over which, having failed to notice it, she had thrown her coat. She had just gotten carried away.? Among the many reasons to use this fine native grass, we can now add napping. Deer grass forms dense hummocks of bright gray-green, evergreen foliage to 4' tall with an equal spread. Flowers emerge silver in early summer, in showy, switch-like panicles 2-3' tall that turn buff color later in the season. Plants prefer moist, well-drained, fertile soil in full sun or part shade with regular to occasional water. Tolerant of a wide range of garden conditions, we have seen deer grass perform equally well in clay or sandy soils, as well as thriving under extreme conditions including heat, drought, and saline soils. Useful massed in meadows, as filler in median strips or as a unifying element in mixed borders. Hardy to 0F. California (from San Diego to Mount Shasta), Texas and Northern Mexico.

By: Native Sons

Native to Calif on into Texas and highly regarded for the xeric garden. Quite hardy for our area, it likes a drier spot with enough water to establish. Makes a 3' high soft fine-bladed evergreen mound with spear-like flower spikes in late summer to 4'. Graceful movement.

By: Far Reaches Farm

One of the showiest grasses I know and certainly the most dramatic of California's native grasses. Excellent as a specimen plant or accent plant for dry gardens, it's also a great choice fro parking strips, driveway edging or a place no one feels like watering. Beautiful in a container too (15” or larger). Very drought tolerant, it flourishes with no Summer water. Growing 3' - 4' tall its whip-like flower spikes are vertical when young, then arch out, giving the look of a straw-colored fireworks display. The spikes constantly move with the wind adding to the drama. Tolerates EXTREME CONDITIONS including HOT AND DRY and ROCKY SOIL.

By: Annie's Annuals & Perennials

Garden photo gallery of Muhlenbergia rigens

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By: Stan Shebs

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By: Dancing Oaks Nursery

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By: Curtis Clark

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By: Stan Shebs

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 license.

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By: Annie's Annuals & Perennials

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By: Annie's Annuals & Perennials

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By: The Watershed Nursery

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By: The Watershed Nursery

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Gardening facts about Muhlenbergia rigens plant

How to Grow Muhlenbergia rigens

Water Needs
- occasional - drought tolerant
Water Needs
- dry in summer
Soil Needs
- clay
- adaptable
- average
- well-drained
- rocky
- gritty
Sun Exposure
- sun - mostly sun
Special Situation
- heat tolerant
- seaside / salt tolerant
- verticillium wilt resistant