Truly muhly

Fall and early winter bring their own colors here in the Southwest Florida landscape.  One such eye-catching plant with fluffy, purple-pink flower heads is called muhly grass.  A native plant with wonderful ornamental characteristics, muhly grass is now a standard in many planting beds.  While the grassy foliage may blend into the background the rest of the year, muhly grass flower heads explode with color now.

As mentioned, muhly grass is native to our area as well as up the east coast to Massachusetts and west and south into Texas and Mexico.  Very resilient in the many habitats from marshy to well-drained, this ornamental grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris, is just one species of many muhly grasses.  Noted for its two to three-foot long , thin blades arranged in a large clump with fall/winter hazy purple-pink flower heads, the pink muhly grass is a natural for a Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ yard.  For a different look, there is a white flower-head cultivar called ‘White Cloud’ -  identical in all the features to the pink version.  Planted in mass beds, the wind moves the delicate flower heads in sweeping drifts of color.  Highly drought-tolerant once established, this grass has moderate salt tolerance and can be used in coastal landscapes. 

In the spring, cut back any old winter foliage to rejuvenate the appearance of the clump.  Propagation is as simple as dividing old clumps into multiple sections and resetting these pieces back into the landscape. 

For a different type of muhly grass, try another species called bamboo muhly grass.  Bamboo muhly grass is very different in appearance and is grown for its resemblance to a miniature clump of bamboo.  Growing upwards to four to six feet tall, this muhly grass does not have the pinkish-purple flower heads, but instead sports whimsical, airy branches that arch to the ground.  Bamboo muhly grass makes a nice companion when planted with other ornamental grasses.   It grows slowly into a five-foot wide, easy to control, clump. 

Over the years muhly grass has become a standard bread and butter item in many of our landscapes.   There is a reason for its popularity and success – it is beautiful!  For more information on ornamental grasses suitable for area, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Gilman, E. F. (2014) Muhlenbergia capillaris, Muhly Grass.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Friday, T. (2007) Muhly grass puts on a show during the fall.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Santa Rosa County.

Christman, S. (2004) Muhlenbergia capillaris.  Floridata.com Tallahassee, FL.

White Muhly Grass Muhlenbergia capillaris ‘White Cloud’.  Gulf Coast Research and Education Center Plant City Teaching Garden, UF/IFAS.

Gardening Solutions (2015) Bamboo Muhly.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Sachson,  A. (2007) Ornamental Grasses are Right for this Place. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Okeechobee Extension

Friday, T. (2010) The 2010 Florida Plants of the Year. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Santa Rosa County.