Muhlenbergia sylvatica

Common Names

Woodland Muhly

Summary

Muhlenbergia sylvatica, woodland muhly, is a perennial rhizomatous grass native to eastern and central North America, It forms tall culms to 40–110 cm with slender puberulent internodes and mostly glabrous sheaths, and has blades 5–18 cm long and 3–7 mm wide, The open panicle is 6–21 cm long and 0.2–1 cm wide, with spikelets 2.2–3.7 mm; glumes 1.8–3 mm; lemmas 2.2–3.7 mm with awns 5–18 mm; paleas 2–3.5 mm and yellow anthers, It grows in upland forests, along creeks and hollows, on rocky ledges derived from sandstone, shale, or calcareous materials, as well as moist prairies and swamps, at elevations of about 30–1500 m, and is known by common English and French names such as Woodland muhly and Muhlenbergie des bois, with endemic status noted, In cultivation, woodland muhly is a rhizomatous perennial that can form diffuse colonies in terrestrial and wetland settings, It tolerates intermediate shade, has moderate vegetative spread, and exhibits high fire tolerance but low drought tolerance, requiring at least 100 frost-free days, Propagation occurs by seed or sprigs, with about 750,000 seeds per pound and slow seed spread, Wetland status varies by region, generally FACW in Northcentral and Northeast, Midwest, Great Plains, and Atlantic & Gulf Coastal Plain, and FAC in Eastern Mountains and Piedmont,

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

1.5-3.5 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zone 4

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade.

Soil Type

Calcareous or mafic soils, calcareous soils on rocky ledges, medium-textured soils

Soil Drainage

Wet, poorly drained soils

Soil pH

5.9-7.5

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Time

Summer to Fall

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Moderate

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds and Sprigs, Layering