Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
Southwestern United States
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Southwestern United States, Texas, Canada, Mexico
Types
Muhlenbergia rigens, Muhlenbergia emersleyi
-
Number of Varieties
54
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sandy areas
meadows, Prairies, Riverbanks, Roadsides, Woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-112-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
7 - 1
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm38.10 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm152.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Blue Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Tan, Sandy Brown
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long linear and narrow
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, Water occasionally
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
fertilize in spring
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Heat Tolerance
-
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Deers, Insects
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Nesting sites for birds, Shelter for wildlife
Air purification, Food for animals, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Sore throat
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Root
Leaves, Stem
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Decoration Purposes, Food for animals
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Wildflower
Botanical Name
MUHLENBERGIA rigens
ANDROPOGON gerardii
Common Name
Deer Grass
Big Bluestem, Turkey Foot
In Hindi
हिरण घास
Big Bluestem grass
In German
Deer Grass
Große Bartgras
In French
cerfs Herbe
Barbon de Gérard herbe
In Spanish
Ciervo Hierba
hierba andropogon grande
In Greek
ελάφια Grass
Big BLUESTEM γρασίδι
In Portuguese
cervos grama
Vetiver grande grama
In Polish
Deer Trawa
Big Bluestem trawa
In Latin
deer Grass
Big bluestem herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Anthophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Lillosida
Order
Poales
Poaceae
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Muhlenbergia
Andropogon
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Chloridoideae
-
Number of Species
40150
1
27800
👆🏻