A drought-resistant ornamental grass, Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens) is ideal for groundcover and lawn replacement projects. One of the most popular tall ornamental grass varieties native to California, it is considered easy to grow and favored for its elegant versatility.
Use Deergrass in the garden for year-round interest. With pale green leaf blades, it produces tall spikes of tiny yellow flowers in spring. Its golden brown seeds provide food for birds in summer, who also use its leaves to construct their nests. The foliage turns a beautiful bronze hue in fall, providing color throughout the changing seasons.
Deergrass is a warm season grass that thrives in sandy soil and full sun, but it is versatile enough to tolerate some shade and a variety of soil types.
Deergrass is one of the most popular California native ornamental grasses for both landscaping and container applications. Create an impressive display with this bunchgrass by planting it in groups or en masse along a walkway. Its sturdy root structure is useful for erosion control.
Its native region spans from California to Texas, and south into Mexico.
Muhlenbergia rigens - Deergrass
Optimal Growth Conditions
- Mature Height: 4 - 5 feet
- Mature Width: 3 - 4 feet
- Sun: Full Sun, Filtered Sun
- Water: Low, Moderate
- Soil Drainage: Fast, Medium, Slow
Geographic Appropriateness
- USDA Zone: Zones 7 - 11
- Sunset Zone: Zones 1 - 3, 6 - 11, 14 - 24
- Native Sites: Chaparral areas with sandy, gravelly terrain, canyons, and washes from the Central Coast through Southern California; inland mountain with trees such as Ponderosa Pine in yellow pine woodland or foothill woodland; occasionally found on seasonal stream banks or other wetland areas.
Additional Landscaping Information
- Characteristics: California Native, Flowering, Drought Tolerant, Deer Resistant
- Special Uses: Bank Stabilization, Containers, Groundcover, Lawn Alternative