Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Regal Mist (Pink Muhly Grass)
Regal Mist is a pink muhly grass that forms a fine green mound about 3 feet tall and wide. In fall it covers itself in airy pink plumes that glow when the sun is behind them. It grows fast and handles full sun and reflected heat. It looks best in groups of three or more, or massed in front of a wall.
Best for: Mass plantings and drifts, hot sunny beds with reflected heat, plantings around pools, and spots where low sun lights up the plumes.
It looks best in groups of three, five or seven, or massed in a drift. Space plants about 3 to 4 feet apart. A solid wall behind the planting makes the pink plumes stand out.
It handles full sun and reflected heat, including parking lot islands and beds in front of hot walls. It also grows in part shade.
It is commonly planted around pools and water features, and it drops little litter. Plant it on the east or west side where morning or evening sun lights the plumes from behind.
Without enough summer water it browns and flowers less. It needs a yearly cut back in late winter, so the spot looks bare until new growth comes in spring. The plumes fade to tan by winter.
- Tight mass planting3 ft apart
- Looser mass planting4 ft apart
Water new plants regularly while they get rooted. Over the first two months, slowly stretch the time between waterings.
Once rooted, give it a deep soak every 10 to 14 days in summer. Without summer water it browns and flowers less.
Cut it down close to the ground once a year in late winter, around February. Fresh growth fills in through spring.
On drip, reseeding is not usually a problem. It stays a tidy clump.
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 Regal Mist get?
The green mound grows about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. In fall the plumes add 1 to 2 feet on top, and the plant grows fast.
When does pink muhly bloom?
Airy pink plumes rise above the leaves in fall, often from late September into November. They fade to a wheat or tan color in winter.
How far apart should I plant it for a mass planting?
Space plants about 3 to 4 feet apart. It looks best in groups of three, five or seven. The Spacing tab has the numbers.
When and how do I cut it back?
Cut it down close to the ground once a year in late winter, around February. This clears the old leaves and spent plumes. Fresh green growth comes in through spring.
How often should I water it?
Once rooted, give it a deep soak every 10 to 14 days in summer. It gets by on less, but without summer water it browns and flowers less.
Can it take full sun and reflected heat?
Yes. It handles full sun and reflected heat, including hot walls and parking lot islands. It also grows in part shade.
Is it good around a pool?
Yes. It is commonly planted around pools and water features, and it drops little litter. Give it the backlit east or west side of the pool if you can, where low sun lights the plumes.
Does it spread or reseed?
It grows as a clump and stays put. Reseeding is not usually a problem, most of all on drip.
How cold can it take?
It is hardy to about 0°F and handles Valley winters. In the low desert it stays mostly green in winter while it rests.
Do deer eat pink muhly?
Deer tend to leave it alone.
What soil does it need?
It grows in most soils, from sandy to clay, as long as they drain well.
How is Regal Mist different from other muhlies?
Regal Mist has pink plumes on a mound about 3 feet tall. White Cloud muhly is the same species with white plumes. Autumn Glow and deer grass are bigger, 3 to 5 feet, with tan flower spikes. Pine muhly is smaller and stiff, about 2 to 3 feet, with thin flower spikes.
Regal Mist (Pink Muhly Grass) for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Regal Mist is a pink muhly grass grown for its fall show of airy pink plumes. It forms a neat green mound, grows fast and takes full sun and reflected heat. This page covers size, spacing for mass plantings, watering, the yearly cut back and how it compares to other muhlies.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
How big does Regal Mist muhly get?
The green mound grows about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. In fall the pink plumes add 1 to 2 feet on top. It grows fast, so small plants fill in quickly.
How far apart to plant pink muhly
Space plants about 3 to 4 feet apart for a mass planting. Groups of three, five or seven look best. The Spacing tab has the numbers.
When to cut back pink muhly in Phoenix
Cut it down close to the ground once a year in late winter, around February. This clears the old leaves and spent plumes. Fresh growth comes in through spring.
How often to water pink muhly in Arizona
Once rooted, give it a deep soak every 10 to 14 days in summer. It survives on less water. Without summer water it browns and flowers less.
When does pink muhly bloom?
Airy pink plumes open in fall, often from late September into November. They glow when morning or evening sun is behind them. By winter they fade to a wheat or tan color.
Pink muhly for reflected heat and pools
It handles full sun and reflected heat off walls and paving. It is commonly planted around pools and water features, and leaf litter is low.
Regal Mist vs Autumn Glow and deer grass
Regal Mist has pink plumes on a mound about 3 feet tall. Autumn Glow and deer grass are bigger, 3 to 5 feet, with tan flower spikes in fall. White Cloud muhly is the same species as Regal Mist with white plumes.
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