Pink muhly grass is a warm-season perennial native to the eastern United States, grown primarily for its billowing clouds of rose-pink to magenta plumes that emerge in fall and shift in color with changing light. It was voted 2012 Plant of the Year by the Garden Club of America and remains one of the most widely planted native ornamental grasses in American horticulture.
The plant forms dense, arching clumps of fine-textured green foliage through summer, which transitions to copper tones as plumes emerge in September and October and persist into winter. It is naturally adapted to roadsides, open prairies, and sandy flats, and tolerates heat, drought, and poor or sandy soils once established. Avoid waterlogged or heavy clay sites. Cut clumps back hard to within 4–6 inches of the ground in late winter before new growth resumes; cutting in fall sacrifices both the plume display and the winter structural interest.
Root rot
Plants wilt, yellow, and stunt even in moist soil; lower stems and roots turn brown, soft, and mushy and the plant may collapse. Most common in heavy, wet, or poorly drained ground.
Improve drainage and stop overwatering, and never plant too deep. Lift and destroy badly affected plants along with the soil around the roots. Grow in raised or free-draining beds to prevent it returning.