How to Grow and Care for Pink Muhly Grass

Pink muhly grass, also known as gulf muhly or hairgrass, is a low-maintenance, ornamental grass that grows in much of the United States and into Central America. It offers late-season color in the fall with its feathery pink plumes. The grass flourishes in warm, dry climates and full sun. It thrives naturally in clay or rocky soils, though it can be planted in most soil types, requiring little water.

Pink Muhly Grass Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing pink muhly grass:

• Plant the grass in a sunny spot, with six or more hours of direct sunlight.
• Almost any soil type will do, even clay or thin, rocky soils.
• Water the pink muhly grass at first but once established, it doesn't need much supplemental watering.
• Keep the grass protected from temperatures below minus 10°F.
• Don't bother fertilizing, unless the soil is truly nutrient-deficient and the grass seems to be suffering.

Light

Pink muhly grass needs to be planted in full to partial sunlight. It tolerates some shade, but for proper growth and blooming, the grass requires at least six hours of sunlight (or more) each day.

Soil

This type of grass requires dry-to-medium, well-draining soil. If the soil becomes too wet or boggy, pink muhly grass will not thrive.

Pink muhly grass prefers slightly acidic to neutral soils. It does not grow well in alkaline soils with a pH higher than 7.0.

The grass tolerates salinity exceptionally well. So soil with elevated salt content due to irrigation, mineral weatherization, or road salt is generally not a problem for growing this type of grass.

Water

Once pink muhly grass is established, it doesn’t require regular irrigation if rainfall is sufficient. It’s considered drought-tolerant and prefers dry to medium soil moisture.

However, if the soil surrounding the plant becomes dry to a depth of 2 inches or more, apply about an inch of water but do not saturate and make sure the soil is well-draining.

Temperature and Humidity

Pink muhly grass thrives in warm, dry atmospheres even though it is native as far north as Massachusetts; it is only hardy as high as these regions (USZA zone 5), dying off in temperatures below -15°F.

Humidity is bad for the plant as it increases chances of tar spot, a fungal plant disease.

Ornamental Grass for Colder Weather

For areas with colder winters than USDA zone 5, choose a more hardy ornamental grass like little bluestem.

Fertilizer

Most ornamental grasses thrive without the addition of fertilizer. Too much nitrogen has a detrimental effect on plants such as pink muhly grass and causes the shoots to become limp. It’s best to do a soil test to determine whether or not your soil nutrients need a boost.

Types of Pink Muhly Grass

Pink muhly grass is only one type of muhly grass. Many more types and hybrids are not as readily available as the traditional pink muhly grass. Here are several muhly grass cultivars to consider planting:

• 'White Cloud': This billowing grass offers creamy upright flowers.
• 'Rose Muhly': The grass has loose pinkish-reddish blooms and grows smaller than most other pink muhly grasses.
• 'Pink Flamingo': This grass is a hybrid of M. lindheimer and pink muhly grass with bright pink flowers and slender evergreen leaves.
• ‘Undaunted® Ruby’: This grass is native to Texas and has feathery, reddish blooms that gracefully arch over.
• 'Regal Mist': A fast-growing grass, this pink muhly grass grows to only about 4 feet tall with pinkish-reddish flowers.
  

Pruning

This perennial plant benefits from cutting back in the late winter or early spring before the growing season begins. Do not cut too close to the crown of the plant—a distance of at least 3 to 4 inches should be sufficient.

Avoid pruning this plant in mid-to-late summer because it interferes with the production of the beautiful plumes of flowers for which pink muhly grass is known.

Propagating Pink Muhly Grass

A stand of pink muhly grass becomes a real show-stopping display created by propagation. These plants are relatively easy to propagate by either seed collection or division. Dividing pink muhly grass plants typically is necessary every few years to keep them tidy and maintain spacing between individual plants. Otherwise, the plant continues to spread while a dead area often forms in the center of the clump.

To propagate by division, follow these steps:

1. Using a shovel or spade, dig around the perimeter of an individual plant, and be sure to dig deep enough under the plant to free the entire root ball.
2. Split the plant into two or three equal parts, depending on the size of the root ball. Keep in mind that ornamental grasses tend to have very dense, fibrous root systems. It might take a sharp tool or even a chainsaw to divide the root system. Use caution and wear personal protective equipment.
3. Place one division of the plant back into the original hole. Replant the remaining sections in other places or pass them along to friends for planting in their garden.

How to Grow Pink Muhly Grass From Seed

Growing pink muhly grass from seed is easy but be prepared to wait a season to see blooms after seedlings are transplanted into the ground. To propagate by seed, collect the brown seeds that form in the flower plumes. Once the brilliant pink or reddish hues have faded from the flowers in late fall, it’s time to collect the seeds.

To leave dried flowering grass intact for some visual interest through the winter season, comb through the plume to release the seeds. Once you have collected the seeds, follow these simple steps:

1. Plant the seeds in early spring, either indoors or direct sow them outside in a sheltered area if the climate is favorable enough.
2. Sow seeds on top of a layer of soil but don’t cover them with soil. Pink muhly grass seeds need light to germinate.
3. Mist with water to maintain moisture until the seeds begin to sprout, which should be in about two weeks.

How to Get Pink Muhly Grass to Bloom

Pink muhly grass should bloom easily even in a wide range of growing conditions.

Bloom Months

Pink muhly grass blooms in the fall, typically from September through November. Showy pink muhly grass blooms usually last for one to two months during the flowering season.

What Do Pink Muhly Grass Flowers Look and Smell Like?

The flowers of pink muhly grass have a fluffy, cloud-like texture and add significant pink and purple shades to the fall scenery when other colors fade away. The blooms don't have much of a notable fragrance, though some say pink muhly grass smells a bit like hay.

How to Encourage More Blooms

If the grass is not blooming, it may not be receiving enough light. While the plant grows in partial shade, it requires full sun to flower.

While pink muhly grass tolerates drought, it may not bloom if it's too thirsty. Give it supplemental water if you're experiencing a particularly dry season.

To get the healthiest blooms possible, invest time in the winter to trim it after it goes dormant. Pruning pink muhly grass in the winter encourages bountiful blooms the next season.

Common Pests

The main pest that makes its home on pink muhly grass is the mealybug. If there are mealybugs on your plant, the plumes might look frothy and white because of the pest's white residue. Hose the pests off the plant with a hard stream of water or spray with neem oil.

From: thespruce