Pink muhly grass is one of the United States’ loveliest perennial grasses, but it doesn’t really enjoy the cold.
Does pink muhly grass survive winter?
Pink muhly grass easily survives the winter in US states located within the growing zones 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. In zones 1 through 5, pink muhly may or may not survive depending on the temperatures, how well you prepare them, and how healthy and robust they are.
Read on below and learn everything you need to know about pink muhly grass and the winter!
Table of Contents
Is Pink Muhly Grass a Perennial?
Pink muhly is an eye-catching perennial grass that originates from Missouri, it belongs to the Poaceae family. It now grows in the southern United States (from Texas to Florida).
The pinkish purple ornamental grass species reaches heights of up to 36 inches tall and blooms every late summer and/or early fall.
It is easy to care for, requires little water, barely any fertilization, and practically no special treatment.
Pink Muhly Grass Cold Tolerance
The coldest temperatures that pink muhly grass can withstand are slightly lower than -10 degrees F, the winter lows for USDA zone 6.
In other regions that pink muhly survives during the winter, the temperatures fluctuate from 0 degrees to as much as 65 degrees.
Pink muhly grows best in USDA cold hardiness zones 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11.
If you are growing your pink muhly in containers, move them somewhere out of the elements for the winter.
Does Pink Muhly Grass Survive Winter?
Pink Muhly survives the winter in the majority of the USA without breaking a sweat.
As long as your pink muhly is growing in zones 6 through 11, you’re good to go as far as your plant surviving the winter.
Growing zones in the US that get colder than -10 degrees F are the only areas this purple perennial might be in danger during the winter.
What Does Pink Muhly Grass Look Like in Winter?
The plumes of your ornamental pink muhly grass remain pink and purple for the first few weeks of winter.
As the cold weather continues, they eventually drop their frozen blooms and take on a straw-like color and appearance.
More or less, your pink muhly goes from pinkish purple to brownish yellow over the course of the winter!
What Do You Do With Pink Muhly Grass in the Winter?
The wintertime, as cold as it may be, is the best time for most of your annual pink muhly upkeep.
Below, we discuss what you need with your pink muhly grass each winter to keep it in tip-top shape:
Trim it
The first thing to do with your pink muhly grass in the winter is pruning it.
Remove the majority of the plant, leaving just 2 to 6 inches above the ground.
Be sure to cut away most of the dried and dead plant matter.
Protect it
One commonsense step you can take to protect your pink muhly during the wintertime is adding some mulch to it.
Place 3 to 5 inches of mulch on and around the grass, helping protect it from cold as well as retain its moisture.
Another way to protect your pink muhly during the winter is by adding bales of straw/hay around them.
If your grass is in pots you can move them indoors or into a greenhouse for the winter.
Fertilize it
Pink muhly and other ornamental grasses don’t require much fertilization besides what is provided to them by the soil.
However, these purple and pink blooming plants do benefit from light fertilization once per year from products with an NPK of 10-10-10.
Apply Pesticide
The late winter is the perfect time to apply pest control for aphids, spider mites, and any other common pests that are known for munching on plants in the spring and summer.
Whether you apply store-bought pesticides or use natural remedies is up to you and your better judgment (they both work).
Divide and Replant
Every third year, dig up your pink muhly, divide it up into smaller clumps, and replant them accordingly.
If you don’t want more grass, give the clumps away or sell them.
You must remove the extra clumps every so often or the plant will become dormant and lack blooms.
