Pink Muhly Grass Care

Pink Muhly Grass is a surprisingly easy-to-grow ornamental grass that provides a vibrant summer display year after year, as airy pink plumes emerge from its green foliage. These gorgeous pink blooms dance in the breeze throughout the fall, offering a long season of elegant color. This stunning perennial grass will add color and texture to any landscape and is a perfect fit for a low-maintenance garden. Even in winter, Pink Muhly maintains its shape as the pink clusters and green leaf blades fade to tan. Let’s explore some of the best Pink Muhly Grass care practices.

Facts & Features

Plant Type: Perennial
Growing Zones: 6-9
Mature Height: 2-3 feet
Mature Width: 2-4 feet
Soil Types: Dry and well-drained
Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
Water Requirements: Drought-tolerant

Pink Muhly Grass is a non-invasive, fast-growing, low-maintenance plant. It’s resistant to pests, deer, and most diseases. Muhly Grasses are happiest in full sun but will survive in partially shaded locations, as long as the soil isn’t too moist. Pink Muhly boasts deep green foliage during the spring and early summer. It will start blooming delicate pink clusters in late summer to early fall. Unlike other ornamental grass varieties, Pink Muhly Grass actually prefers dry soil, and is highly tolerant of heat, drought, salt, wind, and even poor soil conditions. Under ideal growing conditions, it can grow up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide.

Pink Muhly Grass Care & Maintenance

Pink Muhly Grass is best planted in the spring or fall before the first expected frost of the year. This magnificent perennial plant has the ability to thrive almost anywhere it’s planted. However, while it can tolerate partial shade quite well, the more sunlight it receives, the quicker and more vibrantly it will grow and flower. For the best results, if your landscaping design permits, consider planting Pink Muhly in a location where it will get at least 6-8 hours of sun exposure each day.

When planting, keep in mind that wet, soggy soil can cause a myriad of problems for Pink Muhly. Not only can wet soil severely decrease the growth rate, but it will also cause root rot. To combat these problems, opt for well-draining, dry soil. Pink Muhly Grass can be successfully planted in sandy, loamy, and clay soils as long as it drains well. Avoid planting your Muhly Grass in areas prone to standing water or under any heavy shade tree or building, and it will serve you well.

Lastly, as far as spacing is concerned, if you’re working with numerous plants, you will want to space them at least 2-3 ft. apart to allow for the expansion that occurs as Pink Muhly reaches maturity.

Watering

The deep roots of Pink Muhly Grass make it a very drought-resistant option for any landscaping project. However, for the first few months after planting your seedlings, extra watering should be done to keep the soil moist. This will help your Pink Muhly get robustly established, at which point, it will then be able to withstand dry soil conditions. Once properly established, Pink Muhly Grass care only involves the occasional deep watering during extended periods of heat and drought.

Fertilization

Pink Muhly Grass does not require fertilization, but if your plants are struggling or showing signs of stunted growth, we suggest feeding your plants a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in late winter or early spring. While fertilization is not necessary to grow Muhly Grass successfully, it can help boost the growth rate and vitality of your plants.

Mulching

Adding bark mulch to your newly planted Pink Muhly is ideal. Not only does it hold in just enough moisture, but it also helps fight against invasive weeds. Additionally, it protects the roots during cold winters. This means that you will need to do even less watering. To apply, add 1-2” of mulch a few inches from the root zone of your newly planted seedlings in late fall, before the ground freezes.

Pruning

While this isn’t necessary, we recommend trimming your Pink Muhly Grass close to the ground in late winter or early spring after it goes dormant and browns. Doing this will ultimately result in stronger new growth and brighter blooms the following spring.

Landscape Ideas

Pink Muhly Grass only gets about 2-3 feet tall and wide at maturity, so it’s extremely versatile and can be planted just about anywhere. Here are a couple of landscaping ideas you may want to consider:

• Pink Muhly is well suited to growing with companion plants such as The Magic Rose Camellia or Variegated Liriope. In fact, it’s one of the best ways to create a whimsical landscape. Try planting in groups of 3 to 5 in mixed beds for breathtaking color contrast.
• Pink Muhly Grass looks stunning planted near a mailbox or as a focal point in your garden. You can effectively welcome others to your home by lining your driveway, or make visitors feel like they’re walking into a fairy tale by lining the walkways up to your front door.
• You can also plant Pink Muhly Grass in containers. Use pots with holes for drainage and place them on a deck or patio as gorgeous outdoor living decor.

Pink Muhly Grass is one of the most beautiful and versatile ornamental grasses available today. While it isn’t always easy to find at your local garden center, you can buy Pink Muhly Grass in our online nursery any time of the year!

Also, consider browsing our full selection of ornamental grasses and flowering shrubs for other low-maintenance landscaping options.

You May Also Like:

• White Cloud Muhly Grass
• Morning Light Miscanthus Maiden Grass
• Adagio Miscanthus Maiden Grass
• Shenandoah Switch Grass
• Variegated Liriope