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Deergrass
Muhlenbergia rigens
  
About Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens) 100 Nurseries Carry This Plant This native bunchgrass, Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens) is a popular plant choice for groundcover and lawn replacement applications. It's an attractive, low-water grass that's very easy to grow. Deergrass does best in sandy soil and full sun, but it is versatile enough to tolerate shade and a variety of soil types.

The leaf blades are pale green, and in spring the plant produces tall spikes of yellow flowers. The seeds provide food for birds in summer. Plant this large mounding grass in groups for an impressive display.
Bornstein, C., Fross, D., & O’Brien, B. (2011). Reimagining the California Lawn.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Grass

Size
Size
4 - 5 ft tall
4 ft wide

Form
Form
Upright, Fountain

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast, Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
None

Flower Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Cream

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Seed-eating birds will be attracted to it in summer

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerant of sand and clay. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Deer Resistant, Groundcovers

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
This is a large clumping grass, so use with shrubs that won't be overwhelmed by it, such as Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), Lemonade Berry (Rhus integrifolia), larger Ceanothus, Manzanita species, or Scrub Oaks.

Maintenance
Maintenance
Can be cut back in fall if it becomes unruly

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
1, 2, 3, 6*, 7*, 8*, 9*, 10*, 11*, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
In southern California and along the central coast it is found in sandy gravelly places, canyons, and washes as part of the chaparral community. In inland mountain areas it may occur with Ponderosa Pine and other trees in yellow pine woodland or foothill woodland. In a few locations it may be found on seasonal stream banks or other wetland areas.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 4.1" - 61.8", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 2.83", Coldest Month: 32.3" - 60.5", Hottest Month: 55.0" - 87.5", Humidity: 0.46" - 40.07", Elevation: 14" - 7694"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Deer Muhly


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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