Deer Grass

Scientific Name:

Muhlenbergia rigens

Physical Appearance:

• Tall and wide

• Dense, coarse leaves, narrow and pointed

  • Varying in color from silver/green to purple

• Yellow/cream flowers

When Does It Grow:

• Flowers in spring

Preferred Environment:

• Mainly grasslands but can be found in some conifer forests and oak woodlands ecosystems

Method of Reproduction:

• Birds are drawn to this stuff

Medicinal Uses:

• Tea from roots and stems is used for clearing the throat of mucus

Role in the Ecosystem:

• Not primary food source, but rabbits and ground squirrels like to eat at the seedlings

• Birds eat the seeds and occasionally can find using foliage for nest making

Random:

• Grasses are known for being invasive, but not deer grass! Let’s just say it is pretty well behaved

• Native Americans were known to use deer grass for basket making

• Deer grass thrived in recently burned areas, so it is said that Native Americans would burn areas of their land in order to allow excessive growth of deer grass to be used for weaving