Deer grass

Deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens) is a fine-textured bunchgrass with erect to gracefully arching grayish green leaves to three feet tall and four feet wide and a haze of tawny or silvery gray mid-summer flowers on stems that rise two feet above the foliage.

Muhlenbergia rigens (deer grass)

Native to many plant communities throughout much of California south and east to New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico, this adaptable grass prefers some moisture but can go all summer without irrigation if winter rains have been sufficient. Occasional summer water may keep plants nearly evergreen.

Easy and fast-growing in full sun or filtered shade, deer grass reaches its full size in a season or two and can go years without shearing, though it can be cut back in late fall or tidied up occasionally by raking out dead leaves and stems.  Untrimmed, it becomes an attractive mix of tan, gray-green, and bright green as new leaves emerge and old leaves go over.

Attractive as an accent or in mass plantings, deer grass is also good for erosion control, as its roots spread widely and thickly within the top twelve or so inches of soil. Tolerant of seasonal flooding as well as drought, it is a fine choice for a dry stream bed or a rain garden that retains stormwater just long enough for it to seep into the ground. Space plants at least four feet apart to allow each enough room to show off its symmetrically mounding form.

A good habitat plant, deer grass is a winter host for some butterfly larvae and its seeds are favored by many songbirds.