Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Turns cotton-candy pink as the season ends and holds that form till spring cleanup, happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
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- Mississippi
- Grasses
Mississippi · Zones 7–9
Native Ornamental Grasses in Mississippi
Native grasses and sedges that bring movement, winter structure, and bird seed — the matrix that ties a planting together. Every species here is genuinely native to Mississippi and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 7–9 — proven performers for Mississippi's hot, humid subtropical climate across Gulf Coastal Plain & Black Belt prairie, not a generic list. Local standouts include Pink Muhly Grass and Big Bluestem. Native grasses are the connective tissue of a natural planting, weaving between the flowers, holding the soil, and standing handsome through the whole winter. Warm-season grasses want full sun and lean soil and green up late, so don't give up on them in May. Cut everything back to a hand's height in late winter, just before new growth, and that's the entire job.
The plants
6 native species for Mississippi
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 7–9 · see this collection in other states.
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
A native grass that glows bronze-purple seed heads and stands through winter, 4–7 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Summer texture, blue-green to copper autumn color, and winter standing presence on a 2–4 ft-tall native grass.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
A grass that earns its keep in fall and winter — bronze-gold plumes color, 4–7 ft tall, seed for the birds.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Fills the gaps between the flowers with fine 6–12 in-tall texture, happy in rocky and loam soil.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Warm-season grass turning airy pink-gold panicles in fall and holding its form all winter, happy in sand, clay, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Mississippi
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.