PINK MUHLY GRASS

Muhlenbergia capillaris

COLLECTION

Woodland Garden

FAMILY

Poaceae

PLANT TYPE

Grass, Perennial

ZONE

5-9

CULTURE

Typically found in sandy or rocky woods and clearings, Pink Muhly Grass prefers acidic, organic soil. This perennial grass is easy to maintain with annual pruning and is shade tolerant.

NOTEWORTHY CHARACTERISTICS

Commonly known as pink hair grass, Pink Muhly Grass grows to be about 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. This double layer plant has a green leaf-like structure with purple-pink flowers that grow from the bottom up. During the summer the leaves stay green and later turn to copper in autumn. It is a great attractant for ladybugs and beetles.

PROBLEMS

None

GARDEN USES

Pink Muhly Grass is very versatile in its uses including ornamental gardening and farming. It can be grown from seed and the rhizomes do not spread.

HISTORY

Originally described as Stipa capillaris in the late 1700s by Jean-Baptiste Lamark, it later was renamed in 1824 by Carl Bernard von Trinius. Voted “Best Plant of the Year” by the Garden Club of America in 2012.