# @ahs_gardening on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DadYJQvGbKV
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/67627328-ahs-gardening-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/453fca3f79.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-07-06T16:59:58.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** American Horticultural Society | American Gardener Magazine (@ahs_gardening) — https://gondola.cc/ahs_gardening

## Caption

*NATIVE PLANT OF THE WEEK*⁠
Pink Muhlygrass (Muhlenbergia capillaris, Zones 6–10)⁠
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This warm-season ornamental grass deserves a spot in every garden for its perfect size, ease of care, and its enchanting appearance in late summer when its tiny flowers bloom en masse on wiry stems, creating a mist of pink.⁠
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Native Habitat⁠
Grows naturally in a wide section of the east-central United States, as far north as Massachusetts, south to Florida, and west to Texas. Found in open woodlands, sandy prairies, and coastal plains. Can be easily grown in other parts of the country.⁠
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Why Grow It⁠
• Pink flowers bloom in late summer to early fall⁠
• Flowers are followed by tiny purplish seedheads, which feed songbirds⁠
• Clump-forming, so won’t spread out of control⁠
• Provides nesting material for birds⁠
• Suited for containers ⁠
• Tolerates hot, dry conditions⁠
• Tolerates salt spray and salty soil⁠
• Resists deer browse⁠
• Generally not bothered by pests and diseases⁠
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At a Glance⁠
• Full sun⁠
• Well-drained soil⁠
• Grows to 3 to 4 feet tall in flower⁠
• Blue-green foliage and seedheads turn tan in fall, providing late-season interest; may be semi-evergreen in regions with warm climates, like Florida⁠
• Cut back in spring⁠
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Uses⁠
• Include in wildlife gardens⁠
• Massed in borders or as a low hedge⁠
• Use on slopes to control erosion⁠
• Use sprays of flowers in arrangements⁠
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Design Tips⁠
• Pink muhlygrass packs a punch when it flowers, but it can be unassuming until late summer and early fall. Pair it with plants that are showier in the main growing season to maintain visual interest. ⁠
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• Great with variegated yucca, other ornamental grasses, perennial sunflowers, black-eyed Susans, purple coneflower, and late-season bloomers such as New England aster. ⁠
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#nativeplants⁠
#ornamentalgrasses⁠
#lowmaintenanceplants⁠
#wildlifegardens⁠
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Photos⁠
Flowers: Sam Ashley, iNaturalist⁠
Habit: Sherry Nigro, iNaturalist⁠
Landscape: Wikimedia⁠
Flowers closeup: Becky Dill⁠
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## Tags

ornamentalgrasses, lowmaintenanceplants, wildlifegardens, nativeplants

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