Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Autumn Glow
Autumn Glow is a big muhly grass with a strong upright form, growing into a dense mound up to about 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide. In fall, tall spikes of tan flowers rise from the slender light green leaves and glow when the sun is behind them. It grows fast, takes full sun to almost full shade and gets by on little water. Use it as a single accent, in groups, or as a tall backdrop for smaller plants.
Best for: Single accents and groups, a tall backdrop behind smaller plants, retention basins and slopes, and spots from full sun to heavy shade.
Its strong vertical form works as a single accent or in groups. Space plants about 4 to 6 feet apart.
At up to about 5 feet, it makes a tall backdrop for lower, colorful plants. It stands out with sun behind the spikes.
It is a good choice for retention basins and other areas that flood now and then, and for slopes. It grows in full sun to almost full shade.
It goes dormant and turns brown in winter in most areas, then needs a hard cut in early spring. Without extra summer water it looks less lush in the heat.
- Plant to plant4-6 ft apart, center to center
- Mass planting on a slope4-6 ft apart, center to center
Water new plants regularly while they get rooted. New plants need extra water through their first year or two.
Once rooted it needs little water, but extra summer water keeps the leaves lush through the heat.
Cut it back hard once a year in early spring to clear brown leaves and old flower spikes before new growth.
It takes full sun to almost full shade, so it can fill shady corners where other grasses thin out.
Turns tan in winter and greens up again in spring.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Autumn Glow get?
It forms a dense mound up to about 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide, and can land anywhere from 3 to 5 feet. It is a fast grower.
When does Autumn Glow bloom?
Tall spikes of tan flowers come up in fall and glow when the sun is behind them. They hold into early winter.
Does Autumn Glow stay green in winter?
No. It goes dormant and turns brown in winter in most areas, then regrows in spring after the cut back.
When and how do I cut it back?
Cut it back hard once a year in early spring. This clears the brown leaves and old flower spikes before new growth starts.
How far apart should I plant it?
Space plants about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab has the numbers.
How much water does it need?
Once rooted it needs little water. Extra water in summer keeps the leaves lush through the heat.
Can it grow in shade?
Yes. It takes full sun to almost full shade.
What soil does it need?
It grows in most soils, including alkaline Valley soil, as long as it drains. It also handles spots that flood now and then, like retention basins.
How cold can Autumn Glow take?
It is hardy to about -10°F, so Valley winters do not hurt it.
Do deer eat it?
Deer tend to leave it alone, so it holds up in yards where deer browse.
How is Autumn Glow different from deer grass?
Both are big muhlies with tan fall flower spikes. Autumn Glow has a stiffer, more upright form with light green leaves. Pine muhly has a similar tidy look at only 2 to 3 feet.
Autumn Glow for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Autumn Glow is a large, upright muhly grass grown across the Valley for its fall flower spikes and strong shape. It grows fast, handles cold to about -10°F and gets by on little water. This page covers size, spacing, summer watering, the spring cut back and how it compares to deer grass.
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How big does Autumn Glow muhly get?
It forms a dense mound up to about 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide. It grows fast and keeps a strong, upright shape.
How far apart to plant Autumn Glow
Space plants about 4 to 6 feet apart. Each clump grows about 4 to 5 feet across. The Spacing tab has the numbers.
When to cut back Autumn Glow in Phoenix
Cut it back hard once a year in early spring. This clears the brown winter leaves and old spikes before new growth comes in.
Does Autumn Glow turn brown in winter?
Yes. It goes dormant in winter in most areas and the leaves turn brown. The tan flower spikes hold into early winter.
Autumn Glow for shade, basins and slopes
It grows in full sun to almost full shade. It handles retention basins and other spots that flood now and then, and it is used on slopes.
Autumn Glow vs deer grass
Both are big muhlies with tan fall spikes. Autumn Glow is stiffer and more upright, with light green leaves, and grows up to about 5 feet.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.