ornamental grass
Deer grass
Muhlenbergia rigens
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Muhlenbergia rigens is an evergreen ornamental grass for gardens in zones 7–11. Expect 3–5 ft of height and 3–5 ft of spread; our lists space it 3.5 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part sun with little water once established. Expect white flowers in June to August. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the grass role: a grass or grass-like plant that adds movement and fine texture in the middle. It is native to California and the Desert Southwest. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Southeast and Florida and the Gulf, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Muhlenbergia rigens
- Plant type
- Ornamental grass, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 7 to 11
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Well-drained; tolerates clay if not waterlogged.
- Mature size
- 3–5 ft tall × 3–5 ft wide
- Spacing
- 3.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Bloom
- Jun–Aug · white
- Roles in a bed
- Grass
- Styles
- natural, low water, modern
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats
- Native to
- California and Desert Southwest
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $10–$18 (sometimes stocked)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week for the first 6-8 weeks, then every 10-14 days in dry spells through the first summer; after that only in long droughts.
- Pruning
- Rake out dead leaves or cut back hard every few years in late winter.
Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; state extension service fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list (true grasses and sedges are not listed as toxic); Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings; state extension service; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States; state noxious weed lists; Cal-IPC inventory; US garden-centre and home-improvement retail listings (general knowledge, 2026 estimate); USDA PLANTS database; state extension service native plant lists. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Deer grass, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Autumn sageSalvia greggiishrub · zones 7–11
- Parry's penstemonPenstemon parryiperennial · zones 7–10
- Douglas irisIris douglasianaperennial · zones 7–10
- Turk's capMalvaviscus arboreus var. drummondiiperennial · zones 8–10
- Common yarrowAchillea millefoliumperennial · zones 3–9
- Mexican bush sageSalvia leucanthaperennial · zones 8–11
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Deer grass: same role in the bed, passing the same rules.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants