Deer Grass
Muhlenbergia rigens
A fast-growing versatile native bunch grass with lush flower plumes that dries to an attractive tan.
A tough Southwestern native for USDA zones 7-11, semi-evergreen in the low desert and hardy through local frost while thriving in intense heat and drought.
AMWUA Notes
A versatile very low-water native bunchgrass; renew it with a late-winter cutback every year or two rather than frequent shearing.
Care Guide
Water every 1-2 weeks the first summer to establish, then every 2-3 weeks or less; it is very drought tolerant but stays greener and fuller with occasional deep water.
Cut the large fountain-shaped clump back to about 6 in every year or two in late winter to remove built-up thatch and renew fresh growth; avoid shearing it into a hard ball, which ruins its natural form.
No fertilizer needed; it flourishes in ordinary lean desert soil.
Trouble-free and not considered an allergen problem.
Slender tan flower spikes rise above the green fountain of foliage in summer and persist into winter; it is semi-evergreen in mild winters, browning in harder cold.
Soil, Feeding & Propagation
Adaptable to most soils from sandy to clay-loam; tolerates poor and periodically moist ground and is excellent for holding streambank and swale soil.
Needs well-drained soil.
None — thrives in lean desert soil without fertilizer.
Seed, or division of the large clumps in late winter or spring.
3-4 ft on center for rhythmic masses (4 ft mature width)
Deep, soil-binding clumping roots hold slopes and streambeds; non-invasive.
Placement Tips
- •Space 3-4 ft apart to form rhythmic masses or a soft informal screen; each clump reaches 4 ft wide.
- •Superb along dry streambeds, swales, and slopes where its roots hold soil.
- •Let it keep its natural fountain shape as a specimen or in drifts; do not over-prune into balls.
- •Give full sun; a late-winter cutback every year or two keeps it fresh.
Features
Best Uses
Ecological Value
Attracts
Wildlife Value
Companion Plants
Quick Stats
Design Styles
Include in Your Project
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Use this care guide to maintain your Deer Grass. Questions about your landscape? Reach out anytime.
Data from 2024 AMWUA “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” guide.