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Summary

Deer grass produces edible grains that can be eaten fresh at the milky stage or processed into mush or flour at maturity. While not as abundant or easy to process as cultivated grains, it was a supplementary food for Native Americans in the Southwest. Always ensure grains are healthy and free from mold or toxins, and cook when possible for safety. Beyond food use, deer grass is highly valued for soil stabilization and as forage and habitat in dryland ecosystems. Muhlenbergia rigens is a perennial, clump-forming grass with erect culms around 50 - 150cm tall[270 ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food source of material for basketry. It is a significant basketry material for central and southern California Native Americans who utilize the flower stalks in the foundations of coiled baskets. The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild in quantity for sale as basketry material[257 ], and it is also sometimes grown as an ornamental. Long, slender culms and tall tufts make it an attractive plant for the garden[270, 277 ].

Physical Characteristics

Muhlenbergia rigens is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in) by 0.8 m (2ft 7in).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7 and is not frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Homotypic Synonyms: Crypsinna rigens (Benth.) M.E.Jones. Epicampes rigens Benth. Heterotypic Synonyms: Epicampes leptoura Piper. M. leptoura (Piper) Hitchc. M. marshii I.M.Johnst. M. mundula I.M.Johnst.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

Seed - ground into a powder and eaten as a mush, or mixed with other ground seeds and used to make a porridge or bread[257 ]. The seeds are very small, requiring about 500,000 to make 100g[277 ]. The grains of deer grass, like those of other Muhlenbergia species, are edible and were historically gathered by Native Americans. While records are less detailed than for major food grasses, the seeds were prepared as a mush or ground into flour, similar to other wild cereal grains. The best food value comes when the grains are fully mature, as nutrients are most concentrated at this stage. The developing seeds also pass through a “milk stage,” when they are soft and can be eaten fresh, though in small quantities [2-3]. As with all wild grasses, caution is needed: grains and vegetative parts may be susceptible to mold infestations that render them toxic, and some grasses in the family contain cyanogenic glycosides, which boiling can reduce. For safety, only collect healthy, mold-free seed and consider cooking or parching before use [2-3]. Deer grass is a tall, clumping perennial bunchgrass native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is especially common in stream banks, washes, and seasonally moist areas within otherwise arid regions. The plants flower from late spring into summer, and seeds mature through summer and early autumn [2-3].

References More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

References More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

The plant is a valuable streambank stabilizer, as it has an extensive root system, and if grown in dense enough colonies, it can be an effective weed suppresser[277 ]. Plants are found in dense, large clumps in the wild, but can occur as a continuous cover in areas that are subjected to light, frequent ground fires[277 ]. Other Uses The stems are used as the foundation in coiled basketry[277 ]. Frequently, thousands of flower stalks are needed for the completion of each basket. Culms are gathered in late spring while still green, or in summer or early autumn when golden brown[277 ].

Special Uses

References More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

It requires a sunny position and well-drained soil[277 ]. Plants can tolerate periodic inundation of the soil so long as the ground is free-draining at other times[277 ]. Established plants are fairly drought-tolerant [277 ]. USDA Hardiness Zone: 6–10 (adapted to arid and semi-arid regions). Weed Potential: Deer grass is generally not considered a serious weed. In fact, it is often used in restoration, erosion control, and habitat improvement projects, valued for stabilizing soil and supporting wildlife rather than for weedy spread.

References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

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Plant Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer if they have grown sufficiently. Otherwise, grow them on in a greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring of the following year. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted directly into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia rigens (Benth.) Hitchc.)

Native Range

Native to: Arizona, California, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southwest, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas.

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it's worth checking.

Deer grass is generally not considered a serious weed. In fact, it is often used in restoration, erosion control, and habitat improvement projects, valued for stabilizing soil and supporting wildlife rather than for weedy spread.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : Not available

Related Plants

Latin Name	Common Name	Habit	Height	Hardiness	Growth	Soil	Shade	Moisture	Edible	Medicinal	Other
Muhlenbergia pungens	Praire Dropseed, Sandhill muhly	Perennial	0.4	0-0		LMH	SN	M	0	0

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

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Author

(Benth.) Hitchc.

Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

Muhlenbergia rigens - (Benth.) Hitchc.