Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Southwestern United States
Types
Nassella tenuissima
Muhlenbergia rigens, Muhlenbergia emersleyi
Number of Varieties
155
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-107-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11 - 4
12 - 1
Sunset Zone
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
50.80 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
55.90 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Long linear and narrow
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
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
Early Summer, Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Requires watering in the growing season, Water occasionally
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
Requires little pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
fertilize in spring
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Heat Tolerance
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
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Beautification, Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Nesting sites for birds, Shelter for wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Sore throat
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Can be made into a herbal tea, Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
NASSELLA tenuissima
MUHLENBERGIA rigens
Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
Deer Grass
In Hindi
Mexican Feather Grass
हिरण घास
In German
Mexikanische Federgras
Deer Grass
In French
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
cerfs Herbe
In Spanish
Pluma hierba mexicana
Ciervo Hierba
In Greek
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
ελάφια Grass
In Portuguese
Mexican Pena Relva
cervos grama
In Polish
Mexican Feather trawy
Deer Trawa
In Latin
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
deer Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Anthophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Poales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Nassella
Muhlenbergia
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Stipeae
-
Subfamily
-
Chloridoideae
Number of Species
11640
1
27800
👆🏻