Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Tree
Origin
Southwestern United States
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
Muhlenbergia rigens, Muhlenbergia emersleyi
-
Number of Varieties
53
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sandy areas
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-114-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
9-1
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, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long linear and narrow
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, Water occasionally
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
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
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
fertilize in spring
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
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
-
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Nesting sites for birds, Shelter for wildlife
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Sore throat
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Root
Whole plant
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
MUHLENBERGIA rigens
BETULA nigra
Common Name
Deer Grass
River Birch
In Hindi
हिरण घास
River Birch
In German
Deer Grass
Fluss Birch
In French
cerfs Herbe
Birch river
In Spanish
Ciervo Hierba
river Birch
In Greek
ελάφια Grass
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
cervos grama
river Birch
In Polish
Deer Trawa
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
deer Grass
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Anthophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Fagales
Family
Poaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Muhlenbergia
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Chloridoideae
-
Number of Species
403
1
27800
👆🏻