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Muhlenbergia rigens
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Deergrass
( Muhlenbergia rigens )
Muhlenbergia rigens
More Photos at CalPhotos
More Info at Jepson eFlora
Calflora
Click on blue squares to see occurrence records.
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104 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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About Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens)
104 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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This native bunchgrass, Deergrass (
Muhlenbergia rigens
) is a popular plant choice for groundcover and lawn replacement applications. It's an attractive, low-water grass that's very easy to grow. Deergrass does best in sandy soil and full sun, but it is versatile enough to tolerate shade and a variety of soil types.
The leaf blades are pale green, and in spring the plant produces tall spikes of yellow flowers. The seeds provide food for birds in summer. Plant this large mounding grass in groups for an impressive display.
Bornstein, C., Fross, D., & O’Brien, B. (2011). Reimagining the California Lawn.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Grass
Size
4 - 5 ft tall
4 ft wide
Form
Upright, Fountain
Growth Rate
Fast, Moderate
Dormancy
Evergreen
Fragrance
None
Flower Color
Yellow, Cream
Flowering Season
Spring
Wildlife Supported
Seed-eating birds will be attracted to it in summer
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1
likely
* )
SHOW ALL
*
Green Cutworm Moth
Anicla infecta
Anicla infecta
Landscaping Information
Sun
Full Sun
Moisture
Low
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established
Nurseries
Carried by 104
Ease of Care
Very Easy
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow
Soil Description
Tolerant of sand and clay. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Deer Resistant, Groundcovers
Companion Plants
This is a large clumping grass, so use with shrubs that won't be overwhelmed by it, such as
Toyon
(
Heteromeles arbutifolia
),
Lemonade Berry
(
Rhus integrifolia
), larger
Ceanothus
, Manzanita species, or
Scrub Oak
s.
Maintenance
Can be cut back in fall if it becomes unruly
Propagation
?
For propagating by seed: No treatment.
Sunset Zones
?
1, 2, 3, 6*, 7*, 8*, 9*, 10*, 11*, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*
Natural Setting
Site Type
In southern California and along the central coast it is found in sandy gravelly places, canyons, and washes as part of the chaparral community. In inland mountain areas it may occur with Ponderosa Pine and other trees in yellow pine woodland or foothill woodland. In a few locations it may be found on seasonal stream banks or other wetland areas.
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 4.1" - 61.8", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 2.83", Coldest Month: 32.3" - 60.5", Hottest Month: 55.0" - 87.5", Humidity: 0.46" - 40.07", Elevation: 14" - 7694"
Alternative Names
Common Names
: Deer Muhly
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Deergrass
Muhlenbergia rigens
Sources include:
Wikipedia
. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the
California Consortia of Herbaria
, Sunset information provided by
Jepson Flora Project
. Propogation from seed information provided by the
Santa Barbara Botanical Garden
from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include
CalPhotos
,
Wikimedia Commons
, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include
Calflora
,
CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online
,
Jepson Flora Project
,
Las Pilitas
,
Theodore Payne
,
Tree of Life
,
The Xerces Society
, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from
PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.
Links:
Jepson eFlora Taxon Page
CalPhotos
Wikipedia
Calflora
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