If you’re thinking about planting pink muhly, you need to know about the best species to plant alongside/nearby your ornamental grass as well.
What are the best companion plants for pink muhly grass?
Coneflowers, petunias, sunflowers, verbena, asters, blue sage, and aronia are a few of the very best companion plants for pink muhly grass. All of these plants attract pollinators and/or fend off harmful insects as well as look amazing while doing it.
Read on below and learn everything you need to know about pink muhly companion plants!
Table of Contents
The Benefits Of Companion Planting With Pink Muhly Grass
There are numerous reasons to consider companion plants for your pink muhly, or just about any other species you add/want to add to your landscaping.
Companion plants offer nearby plants several benefits, starting with extra shelter.
Whether your grass needs a bit of shade or perhaps some relief from the direct wind, companion plants are your best bet.
Another major benefit offered by companion plants is extra nutrients and healthier soil.
When the plants die and compost the soil, they are introducing/reintroducing rich nutrients back into the ground.
Insects are another reason for companion plants. Companion plants both draw in beneficial insects like butterflies and bees, as well as ward off harmful bugs like weevils, slugs, gnats, aphids, and more.
Lastly, some companion plants are good to use as trap plants. In other words, companion plants may also be planted solely to draw all the harmful insects in the area away from other plants.
Best Companion Plants To Grow With Pink Muhly Grass
Companion plants make life for your ornamental grasses much easier. They thrive better, have fewer pests to worry about, and require less fertilizer just to name a few of the main benefits.
Below we discuss some of the very best companion plants to grow with your pink muhly grass:
Coneflower
The coneflower, also known botanically as Echinacea, is a member of the daisy family. The main difference between typical daisies and coneflowers is their raised cone-like centers.
Coneflowers are one of the best companions for attracting beneficial insects to ornamental grasses like pink muhly.
Butterflies, bees, and even hummingbirds are far more likely to visit your pink muhly grass if coneflowers are planted nearby.
Petunia
The petunia is a beloved flowering species from South America that has made its way all around the world.
The flowers of petunias have a strong and pleasant scent that attracts bees and other beneficial insects to your pink muhly grass.
The downside to using petunias as companion plants is that you have to plant them each year.
The good thing is that petunias are easily grown from seeds or starter plants from your local gardening center.
Blue Aster
Blue aster, also known as Asteraceae, is a beautiful flower that reaches heights of up to 6 feet tall in the right environment.
There are over 170 varieties of aster, some of which only reach a max height of barely 12 inches.
As with the other flowers on our list, aster is a great companion plant for attracting beneficial insects/pollinators to your blooming ornamental grass.
Verbena
There are over 150 types of verbena, or vervain, a perennial herb in the Verbenaceae family.
It is a semi-woody blooming and flowering plant that works well as a companion plant for pink muhly grass.
This plant won’t take up your ornamental grasses’ nutrients, doesn’t require a lot of moisture, and looks amazing beside your pink plumes.
Heliopsis
If you are growing pink muhly grass along the sides of your property or garden, and have room for tall flowers as companions, heliopsis is always a great choice.
There are few plants, if any, that are better at attracting beneficial insects like bumble bees, honey bees, and butterflies.
Heliopsis are also able to go long periods without being watered, like pink muhly.
Further, they only draw on nutrients from up to 2 meters deep in the ground (so they don’t feed on your pink muhly’s nutrients).
Blue Sage
A member of the prairie sage family, azure blue sage, or blue sage for short, is a lovely perennial that grows to heights of 3 to 5 feet tall.
In between the feathery pink and purple plumes of your pink muhly grass, blue sage is a wonderful contrast.
The best part about blue sage as a companion plant is that it works as a form of natural pest control.
Winterberry Holly
Llex verticillata, also known as winterberry holly, is a particular holly species that works wonders, visually, as a companion plant for pink muhly and other ornamental grasses.
During the winter, while everything else around is dying off, winterberry holly is producing bright red berries and still has robust green leaves.
This winterberry holly is also pest and drought-resistant, making it even more ideal as a companion for your pink muhly grass.
Aronia
The aronia shrub belongs to a group of plants in the Rosaceae family. It produces dark bluish-black berries that are often referred to as chokeberries.
Aronia berries have incredible medical benefits for humans. They are high in vitamins and minerals, increase heart health, lower blood pressure, have anti-cancer properties, and much more.
These semi-woody stemmed shrubs are an excellent permanent companion for your pink muhly grass.
4 Plants to Never Grow Near Pink Muhly Grass
Pink muhly grass and other types of ornamentals prefer to be grown in rocky and sandy soil that doesn’t hold nutrients very well.
For that reason, there are a limited few types of plants that work well as companions to this species.
Below we discuss a few things never to consider growing with your pink muhly:
1. Other Ornamental Grasses
Other ornamental grasses aren’t suggested to plant with your pink muhly as they will compete for resources. Further, many ornamental types of grass require richer and wetter soil than pink muhly.
2. Vegetables
Garden variety vegetables should never be grown with pink muhly grass.
No matter what garden vegetable it is, it requires far more water and nutrients as well.
Planting such near your grasses is a great way to shock them with too many nutrients or moisture.
3. Fruits
Fruits are another terrible idea for planting near your pink muhly grass.
The main reason is that they require too much water and too much fertilizer for your pink muhly grass to handle the excess resources without being affected negatively.
4. Plants That Require A Lot of Moisture
Plants that require a lot of water, generally speaking, make bad companion plants for pink muhly.
Ornamental grasses such as pink muhly prefer soil that is well drained and completely dried out from time to time.
If you plant something like basil near pink muhly, which would otherwise be an amazing companion, it is bad because it requires far too rich and moist soil.
