Plant in full sun to part shade and irrigate infrequently. Hardy to at least 0° F. This is a very interesting grass that creates a dense groundcover or sprawls over and around other plants with the open panicles of flowers catching light in a very attractive manner. We like it for its ornamental qualities, but it is also a valuable grass for habitat restoration and revegetation projects in disturbed habitat in the Southwest US.

Muhlenbergia asperifolia is native to moist meadows, sandy washes, canyon bottoms, grassy slopes, rocky and sandy slopes and around seeps and hot springs from 180 to 10,000 feet in elevation in western North America from Canada south into Mexico. The German naturalist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber (1739-1810) named the genus for clergyman and botanist Gotthilf Heinrich (Henry) Ernst Muhlenberg (1753-1815) who was American born but returned to his ancestral Germany for schooling and later returned to America. The specific epithet is from the two Latin words 'asper', meaning "rough" and 'folia', meaning "leaf" in reference to the rough texture of this plant's leaves. It is this texture that also gives it the alternative common name Scratchgrass. We first encountered this grass while driving down Titus Canyon in Death Valley with the "Grassman" John Greenlee - it intrigued us then as it still does today. 

The information about Muhlenbergia asperifolia displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant.