'White Cloud' Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia)
Perennial
- Clouds of airy ivory blooms grace the landscape!
- Native, adaptable, & exceptionally durable.
- Tan plumes provide interest all winter.
- Zones 7-10, sun/part sun, up to 5' tall x 3' wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Muhly grass may look delicate, but it's an incredibly durable landscape option! As a native ornamental grass, it's highly adaptable and resistant to deer, pests, and diseases. It even thrives in poor soils and urban conditions. Plant it in groups or masses to give your garden a dreamy feel.
Details
Common name: Muhly Grass
Zone: 7 - 10
Sun exposure: Sun (> 6 hours sun) to part-sun (4-6 hours sun)
Height x width: 4-5' tall X 2-3' wide
Flower color: White
Foliage color: Blue-green
Season of interest: All year, but especially summer to fall.
Bloom time: Fall
Features: Suitable for slopes, rare & unusual, privacy & screening, heat tolerant, dry soils, drought tolerant, deer resistant, native, container plants, low maintenance, winter interest
Uses: Accent, border, container gardening, cottage gardening, foundation planting, massing, native garden, specimen
How to Grow
Light: Sun (> 6 hours sun) to part-sun (4-6 hours sun). They tend to flop when grown in too much shade.
Water: Average. Prefers moist soils, but once established, it's drought tolerant.
Spacing: 3 - 6 ft.
Fertilizing: Too much fertilizer can lead to lodging or flopping over. The best time for applying fertilizer, if needed, is in the spring as growth is resuming.
Winterizing: Leave foliage standing throughout winter for visual interest. Substantial clumps tend to flop (or collapse when subjected to heavy winter snows) and often benefit from some support.
Maintenance & pruning: Cut foliage to a 6 to 12-inch-tall mound of stubble in late winter before new shoots appear. Older clumps tend to die in the center leading to an unattractive shape and appearance. Dividing every third year is a safe rule of thumb.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.