Muhlenbergia capillaris 'White Cloud' (pink muhly grass)

Who doesn't love pink muhly grass’s dramatic display of foliage and spectacular cloud-like flowers in the Fall? Cultivar ‘White Cloud’ offers the same dramatic display, but with white flowers instead of pink. Perfect for a specimen grass or as a mass planting, ‘White Cloud’ grows 3–4' tall and 2–3' wide in full sun to part shade. This cultivar is slightly larger and more upright than the species, and it blooms a little later. Once established, it tolerates heat,  humidity, and drought-like conditions. Great structural interest throughout Winter. All in all, an outstanding landscaping plant, especially in mass plantings.

Muhly grass is native to the central and eastern parts of the United States and south to Mexico and Guatemala. It occurs naturally in clay or thin rocky soils, especially in those soils that were formerly burned and prairie-like. They are also found in open woodland, savannas, dry woodlands, and the mountains around rock outcrops. attracts a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies, as well as birds that feed on its seeds. Old flowers also provide birds with nesting material in Spring. The clumping habit provides excellent wildlife cover. 

BONAP Native Range Map for straight species. Bright green indicates native to the county, dark green indicates native to the state.

Photo credit: Stephanie Falzone, Flickr, Creative Commons, cropped