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okgirl80

Pink Muhly with Miscanthus grouping?

OKGirl80
12 years ago

Would the Pink Muhly work in front of (and centered) two Miscanthus? They are spaced about 4' apart and would like to layer some other grasses in front of them. I'm thinking about using the Mex Feather Grass in the grouping as well.

Comments (12)

  • donn_
    12 years ago

    Personally, I think the only time it would look good is when the Pink Muhly is in bloom. Then the backdrop of the Miscanthus would cause the Muhly blooms to really pop. I think all the Muhly grasses need to be by themselves the rest of the year, and look pretty messy to me even then. Here are some Pink Muhly's just before they bloom:

  • OKGirl80
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Any recommendations then? Maybe a clump of the Mexican Feather grass? The foliage color seems to be different enough to stand out.

  • donn_
    12 years ago

    Mexican Feather Grass would look great. The foliage color is different, and the texture is much much finer.

    A smaller and differently colored or variegated Miscanthus, would look good.

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    12 years ago

    One of the prettiest groupings I have ever seen is a lot of the pink muhly surrounding medium sized dark agaves. Especially if the sun is setting behind them from a view line. I know it is not grass and grass But I love it.

  • cactusgarden
    12 years ago

    I also like the Pink Muhly in bloom or out. Agaves and grass is one of the best combinations you can put together. I'm mixing Lophantha Agaves with Mexican Feather Grass and Parryi Agave with Lindheimerri Muhly and Deergrass. Another good one is Desert Spoon. I have two I am mixing in with grasses and agaves. Cactus make a nice different texture in the mix and I am liking the contrast. Low water so its a winner.

    About the other post on the M. Dumosa I remembered it was zone 8. I don't have room for it anyway so I can live without it. I really think the reason yours works so well is the wide vista effect contrasting with the dark trunks of the trees. You would never achieve that with just a few plants. Keep adding them, its inspiring.

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    12 years ago

    Yes, the dark green sharp leaves were a dark ghost shadow in amongst the pink foam of bloom. I nearly ran into the car in front of me while tootling slowly down hill to the red light.

    Gulf Coast Muhly muhly is a neat clump comparatively, here in hot Texas. Maybe there is a cultural differnce between here and Long Geyeland. I am always amazed at what Texas plants will grow up there and how they make the transition. On the distribution maps, Gulf coast Muhly, strays from the gulf coast and is shown to be native up the Atlantic Coast quite a ways, but maybe they grow differently up there. I should not be calling Gulf Coast Muhly a TEXAS plant even though I think of it as such.

  • cactusgarden
    12 years ago

    The Gulf Coast Muhly growing in Florida is different than the Texas one. The Texas variety is to be preferred (in my opinion) because it is a smaller, more compact plant. I hope the ones I planted from seed are Texans. A lot of the ones sold are the Florida variety. Its confusing because they both have the same name. I have run across this information in various books and online.

    If I have misunderstood this, please correct me, but I think the Texas variety is native to Texas. I would need to look that up.

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    12 years ago

    So is it a cultural difference or an actual difference in variation of the species.

  • cactusgarden
    12 years ago

    I found it finally.

    John Satterlee in that book "The American Meadow Garden" says there are two distinct types offered by U.S. nurseries. The Florida and S.E. nurseries grow the straight species which can reach 3.5 to 4 ft. to the top of the flowers. It is taller and more arching than the Texas form, offered by most western nurseries, which is never taller than 3 feet. The Texas form is known as Muhlenbergia capillaris var. filipes and its more cold hardy than the Florida clones. Other than that, they are the same.

  • donn_
    12 years ago

    Muhlenbergia capillaris var filipes, AKA Muhlenbergia filipes, has been elevated to its own species, and is now called Muhlenbergia sericea ((Michaux) P.M. Peterson).

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    12 years ago

    That's news to me. Will see how long it takes to get the news ate the nurseries.

  • donn_
    12 years ago

    It was officially 'accepted' by the taxonomists about 5 years ago, but many of the recent changes in nomenclature have gone right by lots of nurseries. Even old well-reputed growers like Kurt Blumel still use out-of-date nomenclature for plants. That's why it pays to search their lists by older synonyms as well.

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