Muhly Revisited

Posted on January 2, 2015 by johnvic8

Several months ago I offered a post about pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris), which is one of my favorite grasses for this area. It is a native, so our climate is ideal for its growth. In October it was at its glorious best as the sun seemed to ignite its pink seed clusters.

October 2014

Yesterday I walked through my winter garden and was once again struck by the beauty of muhly grass.

January 2015

Even on a frosty January morning, muhly grass can be a focal point in this otherwise quiet, sleepy border. Its pink inflorescences and green stems may have faded to a light tan, but the sun still does its magic. In four to six weeks I will cut it down to about six inches, watch it grow over the spring and summer, and look forward to the fall, when it will announce its return to its glory spots in the garden.

About johnvic8

John Viccellio retired after 24 years in the U. S. Navy and began to dig into gardening when he could finally land in one place. He completed the Master Gardener course in 1992 and has since designed and constructed two of his own gardens. He wrote a monthly garden column for ten years and was a regular contributor to Carolina Gardener magazine. John published his first book, Guess What's in My Garden!, in 2014. He lives in Stallings, NC with his wife, in close proximity to six of his eight grandchildren.

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This entry was posted in Gardening and tagged Muhlenbergia capillaris, muhly grass, native grass, pink Muhly Grass. Bookmark the permalink.

13 Responses to Muhly Revisited

gardeninacity says:

January 2, 2015 at 10:55 pm

Attractive in both seasons, I may actually prefer the winter color.

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- johnvic8 says:
  
  January 3, 2015 at 10:33 am
  
  Thanks, Jason. I have seen a white variety at a grass nursery near Durham, NC, but have no personal experience with it.
  
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Pauline says:

January 3, 2015 at 2:15 am

Stunning in both seasons. Is it hardy ?

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- johnvic8 says:
  
  January 3, 2015 at 10:36 am
  
  Thanks, Pauline. It is said to be hardy to Zone 6 (-10F/-23C) “with protecteion.” I’m in Zone 7b and have experienced no problems with cold. I did lose several plants because I overwatered.
  
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Cathy says:

January 3, 2015 at 2:32 am

Lovely! I looked hard for some of this grass last year and it was nowhere to be found in Germany, but a new search this morning and a couple of online nurseries stock it now…. it is obviously catching on! I shall definitely order one in the spring. Love the winter colours too.

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- johnvic8 says:
  
  January 3, 2015 at 10:36 am
  
  Hope you can find it and enjoy, Cathy.
  
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Marian St.Clair says:

January 3, 2015 at 6:19 am

Looks like you have it in just the right spot. Is it morning or afternoon sun that lights it up?

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- johnvic8 says:
  
  January 3, 2015 at 10:41 am
  
  Thanks, Marian. Sun will light it up most anytime during the day. Much depends on your position in looking at it. Back lighting is the most rewarding. New thought: you may want to see the current edition of Go Magazine (from AAA); it has a grand article about Greenville; of course it mentions your Reedy River!
  
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bittster says:

January 4, 2015 at 8:27 am

It still looks just as nice entering the new year, and you do have it in a spot which captures the light perfectly.
The hardiness isn’t a problem for me, we were down around zero several times last winter and mine came through fine. My problem is the blooms don’t always have time to develop before frost shuts them down. Even in a good year we only enjoy the pink color for a few days, and this fall after a cool summer I saw nothing 😦
(though a spring transplant didn’t help either)

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- johnvic8 says:
  
  January 4, 2015 at 2:55 pm
  
  Thanks for your response. I hope you have better luck with it next fall.
  
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Cathy Testa says:

January 5, 2015 at 3:07 pm

John, the photo of the grass with pink highlights from the sun is so beautiful – and the type of scene I enjoy in the gardening season. Thank your for sharing! Cathy T

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- johnvic8 says:
  
  January 5, 2015 at 5:56 pm
  
  Thanks, Cathy. This grass is one of my favorite plants…and the photos help to understand why
  
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