Our first fall project in the garden was to redesign the entrance bed by the steps leading up to the educational center. We wanted plants that would be showy and require little care. Muhlygrass, Muhlenbergia capillaris, certainly fits these requirements.
This showy clump forming grass can get to 3 ft tall and just as wide. The stems and leaves are wire like and unbranched, originating from a dense basal clump. Muhlygrass does not produce runners so it is easy to contain. When flowering, the purplish-red or pink inflorescence stands above the wiry leaves presenting a purple haze. Flowering appears in late summer, and persists for 6-8 weeks, peaking in the fall. The ripe seeds that follow give an attractive tan color to the wispy plumes.
The plant will grow in a variety of soil conditions moist to dry, acidic to alkaline, and sandy to marly. It is moderately salt tolerant and grows in full sun to light shade. Established plantings will not need supplemental watering. Muhlygrass is easy to start from seed or existing clumps can be divided to start new plants. The plants added to the garden came from member donations.
In nature, muhlygrass occurs in wet prairies, savannas, and the outer edges of marshes, and also in well drained upland pine forests. It is frequently found near the coast in interdune swales. It can occur as an isolated plant or in dense stands where it is the only grass.
Muhlygrass can be used in borders and perennial gardens where finely textured foliage is desired to accent bolder specimens. It makes an excellent groundcover for areas with poor soils. It is an excellent plant for road shoulders and medians and is appearing on some of our landscaped highway medians. This is a trend that needs to be encouraged.
Muhlygrass is just one of the plants that will be showcased at our Annual Plant Native Day: "Native Grasses in Your Landscape."
REFERENCES:
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants: Muhlenbergia capillaris
http://www.florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=2069
Natives for your Neighborhood: Muhlygrass, Hairawnmuhly
http://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Muhlcapi
Floridata: Muhlenbergia capillaries
http://www.floridata.com/ref/m/muhl_cap.cfm
Photo by Lois Cantwell