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| Category: Grass |
| Family: Poaceae (Gramineae) (Grasses) |
| Origin: Southwest (U.S.) (North America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Light Lavender |
| Bloomtime: Fall/Winter |
| Height: 4-6 feet |
| Width: 3-5 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F |
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Muhlenbergia dumosa (Bamboo Muhly) - An interesting grass from southern Arizona and northern Mexico that looks like a dainty bamboo with its 4-6 feet tall light airy stems of bright-green foliage. In late fall and into winter the foliage tips are decorated with masses of small flowers that give the plant a pale pinkish-green cast. Although rhizomatous, it spreads slowly and is easily controlled. Plant in full sun and water occasionally – this is a drought tolerant grass though looks more lush with an occasional drink. An attractive and unusual grass with wispy stems that dance in the wind. Muhlenbergia dumosa grows naturally on rocky slopes, canyon ledges, and cliffs in oak-pine and thorn-scrub forests and open prairie from 2,000 to 6,000 feet in elevations in southern Arizona to southern Mexico from southern Baja California, Sonora to Jalisco, and the Chihuahuan Desert region. The German naturalist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber (1739-1810) named the genus for Gotthilf Heinrich (Henry) Ernst Muhlenberg (1753-1815) who was American born but returned to his ancestral Germany for schooling and later returned to America. He was an ordained Lutheran minister but devoted his free time to the study of the botany. The specific epithet is from the Latin word 'dumos' meaning "bushy" in refence to the interesting growth habit of this grass. We got this great grass from John Greenlee and and have grown it since 1991.
The information on this page is based on our library and online research as well as observations made of this plant as it grows in our nursery, in the nursery garden and in other gardens that we have visited. We have also incorporated comments received from others and always appreciate getting feedback of any kind from those who have some additional information, in particular if this information is contrary to what we have written or includes additional cultural tips that would aid others in growing Muhlenbergia dumosa.
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