Muhlenbergia capillaris

Also Known As

Gulf Muhly
Hairy Awn Muhly
Pink Hair Grass
Pink Muhly Grass

Plant type

grass / grass like

size

H: 3'-6'
W: 1'-4'

planting zones

6b-10b

More Options

Muhlenbergia capillaris plant details

Muhlenbergia capillaris is a semi-evergreen grass (or grassy in appearance) with blue and green foliage. In fall pink, purple and red flowers emerge. Features grassy texture. Grows well with sun - mostly sun and even moisture water. Drought tolerant once established. Does well in well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something verticillium wilt resistant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Muhlenbergia capillaris

Plant type: grass (or grassy in appearance)
Plant family: poaceae
Foliage: semi-evergreen blue and green
Mature size: 1 FT - 4 FT - wide, 3 FT - 6 FT - tall
Flowers: pink, purple and red blooms in fall
Uses: container plant, cottage garden, easy-to-grow, fall color, naturalizing, rock garden, self-sowing, showy

GROWING CONDITIONS for Muhlenbergia capillaris

USDA Zones: 6b - 10b
Sun exposure: sun - mostly sun
Watering frequency: even moisture
Resistant to: deer, verticillium wilt
Soil needs: well-drained

Nursery contributed plant descriptions

Muhly grass is one of the loveliest of all of the ornamental grasses. This stunning North American native is found growing in prairies and open woodlands from Massachusetts to Texas. This grass produces an ethereal cloud of vivid pink-red flowers over a long fall season. The beautiful blooms are held on 3' stalks floating above the 2' basal clumps of fine-textured blue-green needle-like foliage. Tan colored seed heads add interest into winter. This easy-care beauty tolerates drought, black walnut and pollution making it a great choice for xeric or urban gardens. A gorgeous sight when planted en masse. S/M-D

By: Forestfarm

Seeing this in the Chanticleer dry garden was magical. Difficult to capture in a photograph, but delightful to experience, this late season grass provides a haze of pink flower/seed heads in October. Fine textured green foliage clumps grow to 2' tall, and shoot up to 2' when in bloom. Shipping qt. pots.

By: Avant Gardens

In summer it is attractively mounding, and in autumn bloom it becomes an atmospheric pink blur. If it can be placed where you get a view of it backlit by the sun in morning or evening, all the more glorious. 2-3' x 2-3' Sorry, grasses and sedges cannot be shipped to California.Minimum temperature: -20?F

By: Dancing Oaks Nursery

At the end of summer when all other annuals and perennials are winding down, Pink Muhly Grass begins putting on a show! Giant airy plumes of cotton-candy pink provide an absolutely showstopping source of late-season color. This grass is effortless to grow and can form a nice little hedge or edging with ribbon of color from spring through summer.

By: Maples N More Nursery

Holding their attraction for months, ethereal masses of airy flower panicles are imbued in vivid pinkish red tones, which age to a light buff. This soft-looking mist hovers atop a fine textured, semievergreen clump of glossy dark green foliage. With an unmatched vivacity, particularly when planted in drifts, the Pink Muhly will easily bridge the gap from a garden space into the native habitat.

By: Digging Dog Nursery

A clumping, deciduous grass with masses of violet-pink, airy flowers that often obscure the blue-green foliage in a purple haze from summer to early fall. Useful as a border specimen, or massed in large groups, this species is especially suitable for coastal gardens in sandy soils. Plants will tolerate partial shade and dry conditions, though flower production is much stronger in full sun and plants often look best with moderate summer water. Eastern United States to Texas and into Mexico.

By: Native Sons

Such a great grass, let me count the ways...Drought tolerant, Deer Resistant, tough, easy & so beautiful! I think this grass should actually be called “Cotton Candy Grass” because that is just what it looks like when it goes into bloom in late Summer-Fall – a 3' tall & 4' wide mound of fluffy, pink cotton candy. It adds a shot of color & interest at a time when most gardens are slowing down. The fine-textured foliage is a nice blueish-green color. Great planted as a contrast to coarse-textured plants like Agaves & Aeoniums or planted in mass for a super-showy effect. Plant it where it will be back-lit by the sun for an extra treat. Native to Texas & Florida.