Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Types
Muhlenbergia rigens, Muhlenbergia emersleyi
Nassella tenuissima
Number of Varieties
515
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sandy areas
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-116-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
11 - 4
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm50.80 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm55.90 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long linear and narrow
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, Water occasionally
Do not water excessively
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, 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
Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
fertilize in spring
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Deers, Insects
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Nesting sites for birds, Shelter for wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Sore throat
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Root
Leaves
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
MUHLENBERGIA rigens
NASSELLA tenuissima
Common Name
Deer Grass
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
In Hindi
हिरण घास
Mexican Feather Grass
In German
Deer Grass
Mexikanische Federgras
In French
cerfs Herbe
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
In Spanish
Ciervo Hierba
Pluma hierba mexicana
In Greek
ελάφια Grass
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
In Portuguese
cervos grama
Mexican Pena Relva
In Polish
Deer Trawa
Mexican Feather trawy
In Latin
deer Grass
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Anthophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Poales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Muhlenbergia
Nassella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Stipeae
Subfamily
Chloridoideae
-
Number of Species
40116
1
27800
👆🏻