Muhly grass 'White Cloud'
Muhlenbergia capillaris 'White Cloud' · Poaceae
A billowing, see-through cloud of white flower heads in October, above a mound of wiry, grey-green leaves.
- Size
- 4 ft tall, 3 ft wide
- Zones
- 6 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Flowers
- Early October to early November
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around muhly grass 'White Cloud'
The planner designed this bed around muhly grass 'White Cloud' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) naturalistic planting in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 715 that suit those conditions and its dry soil, and says below why muhly grass 'White Cloud' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Muhly grass 'White Cloud' × 1, white
- 2 Seaside daisy × 11, lavender
- 3 Sea thrift × 8, pink
- 4 Little bluestem 'The Blues' × 3, tan
- 5 Slender mountain mint × 3, white
- 6 Spurge 'Blackbird' × 3, purple leaves
- 7 Star of Persia × 4, purple
- 8 Hyacinth × 7, blue
Why this plant
- The only airy sprays. The others are daisies, globes, spires and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
- Part of the bed's structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down. So does little bluestem 'The Blues'.
Why here
- Anchors a back corner. At 4 ft it is the tallest plant here, and the tallest close the ends of the bed, where they stand in front of nothing.
- A step in the back row. Next to slender mountain mint (2½ ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- One plant, alone. A feature plant is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
Why now
- In flower for six weeks. From early October to early November.
- Closes the season. For its last five weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
- Stands through winter. Left uncut, it holds its shape until March, when the perennials have gone.
Planned as a naturalistic planting: low grasses and groundcovers, the matrix, make up 50% of the planted ground. There is more seaside daisy than anything else, 11 plants in all. A cool scheme: lavender, pink, purple, blue, white and tan.
The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 6 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where muhly grass 'White Cloud' goes in a border
At 4 ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is moderately tall (3 to 4 ft). It is airy enough to see through, so it can also come forward and veil what is behind it.
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
The white form of pink muhly, a little taller and later. Plant the two together, or use this one where pink would clash with autumn leaves.
- A white haze in autumn
- Massing in dry soil
- Backlit by low sun
What to plant with muhly grass 'White Cloud'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Pink muhly grass: in flower together for five weeks, from early October; happy in the same dry soil.
- Aromatic aster 'October Skies': in flower together for four weeks, from early October; low enough (20 in) to stand in front of it; happy in the same dry soil.
- Little bluestem: its blue-green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; happy in the same dry soil.
Questions about muhly grass 'White Cloud'
Does muhly grass 'White Cloud' need sun or shade?
Muhly grass 'White Cloud' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).
It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does muhly grass 'White Cloud' grow in?
USDA zones 6 to 9. It is hardy to zone 6, which means it survives winter nights down to about 0 °F (−18 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does muhly grass 'White Cloud' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers early October to early November. As an autumn flower it keeps much the same dates in every zone: it answers to shortening days and cool nights more than to the warmth of spring.
| Zone 6 | Early October to early November |
|---|---|
| Zone 7 | Early October to early November |
| Zone 8 | Early October to early November |
| Zone 9 | Early October to early November |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should muhly grass 'White Cloud' be planted?
2½ ft (75 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3 ft (90 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 4 ft (120 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many muhly grass 'White Cloud' plants do I need?
At 2½ ft apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 2 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 5 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 6 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is muhly grass 'White Cloud' poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Do deer eat muhly grass 'White Cloud'?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What does muhly grass 'White Cloud' look like in winter?
Muhly grass 'White Cloud' holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.
Is muhly grass 'White Cloud' good for bees and butterflies?
Muhly grass 'White Cloud' is visited by butterflies and songbirds.
It is native to the United States (this is a named variety of the native plant).
More Muhlenbergia
- Deer grass Muhlenbergia rigens
- Pink muhly grass Muhlenbergia capillaris
In these guides
- Salt-tolerant plants for roadsides and coasts
- Plants that grow near black walnut
- Plants for slopes and banks
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants that feed garden birds
- Tall perennials and grasses for the back of a border
- Plants that flower in fall
- Plants for a white garden
- Silver and grey-leaved plants
Every fact on record
- Type
- Grass
- Size
- 4 ft (120 cm) tall, 3 ft (90 cm) wide
- Plant
- 2½ ft (75 cm) apart
- Height class
- Moderately tall (3 to 4 ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back, or further forward: it is airy enough to see through
- Flowers
- Early October to early November; airy sprays; white
- Leaves
- Fine texture, semi-evergreen; grey-green
- Shape
- Mounding, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 6 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Lean, dry and sharply drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Poaceae
- Comes from
- Central & Eastern U.S.A. to Guatemala and Caribbean
- Attracts
- Butterflies, songbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer, drought, heat, humidity, salt, poor soil, black walnut, pollution, erosion
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.