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Muhlenbergia expansa

Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
mew-len-BERG-gee-uh ek-SPAN-sa
Description

Savanna Hairgrass is a native warm-season bunchgrass found in moist to wet soils in pitcher plant bogs, pine savannahs and flat woodland areas, usually in acidic sandy soils in the coastal regions of the southwestern U.S.A.. This plant is grazed by cattle, sheep, and other herbivores. Growth can be controlled by fire.

Use this plant in native coastal gardens in wet to boggy sites.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#NC native#clumping#native ornamental grass#larval host plant#food source herbage#Coastal FACW#Piedmont Mountains FACW#bird friendly#food source hard mast fruit#mammals#Audubon
 
Form
Form Nate Hartley CC BY-NC 4.0
Form
Form Nate Hartley CC BY 4.0
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#NC native#clumping#native ornamental grass#larval host plant#food source herbage#Coastal FACW#Piedmont Mountains FACW#bird friendly#food source hard mast fruit#mammals#Audubon
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Muhlenbergia
    Species:
    expansa
    Family:
    Poaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Southeastern U.S.A., Texas
    Distribution:
    AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TX, VA
    Wildlife Value:
    Seeds are eaten by sparrows and other birds
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Native Plant
    Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
    Habit/Form:
    Clumping
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Moist
    Occasionally Wet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Pink
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Fruit Type:
    Caryopsis
    Fruit Description:
    The seedhead is open and delicate with a purple panicle 14 to 20 inches long August-November
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Pink
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Fall
    Flower Description:
    Flowers bloom September-October and are pink in color.
  • Leaves:
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    The leaf blade is 12 to 14 inches long, narrow, wiry, tough, twists slightly at maturity and margins fold or roll inward. The leaf sheath is rounded, mostly basal and curls into fibrous mass at maturity.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Coastal
    Meadow
    Woodland
    Landscape Theme:
    Butterfly Garden
    Native Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Rain Garden
    Attracts:
    Butterflies
    Small Mammals
    Songbirds
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Wet Soil