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Muhlenbergia expansa is often confused with:
Ctenium aromaticum Expanse of tall grass with comb-like flowering spikes at sunrise
Plants that fill a similar niche:
Andropogon glomeratus Form
Erianthus giganteus Form
Viola striata Viola striata

Savanna Hairgrass Muhlenbergia expansa

Other Common Name(s):

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

Savanna Hairgrass is a warm-season bunchgrass native to coastal regions of the southeastern United States. It is found in bogs, flatwoods, and other wet sites with acidic sandy soil. 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
    Purple/Lavender
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Fruit Type:
    Caryopsis
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    The seedhead is a diffuse purple panicle. It is delicate and may break apart over winter.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Pink
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Fall
    Flower Description:
    Flowering and fruiting occurs mainly in September and October. Inflorescence is diffuse, 3-12 inches long with primary branches 1-8 inches, pedicels longer than spikelets.
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Shape:
    Linear
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    < 1 inch
    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