// SPECIES PROFILE · GRASS · NATIVE

Wirestem muhly

Muhlenbergia frondosa

Wirestem muhly (Muhlenbergia frondosa) is a grass in the — family. Native range includes AR, KS, MO, OK. Hardy in zones 2b–10a. Mature size 6"–3'. Blooms Mar–May.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: —
Group: grass
Native range: Native to 35 U.S. states, including AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA…
USDA hardiness: Zones 2b–10a
Mature size: 6"–3'
Sun: Part shade
Water: Medium
Bloom: Mar–May
Wildlife value: Pollinator and wildlife support
Ecological role: native species profile

Wirestem muhly (Muhlenbergia frondosa) — *Muhlenbergia frondosa* — Wirestem muhly. Photo by Albert Spear Hitchcock (1865–1935), Mary Agnes Chase (1869–1963), A. H. Baldwin, (Miss) M. D. Baker, Mary Wright Gill (1866-1929), Frank Lamson-Scribner, W. R. Scholl, Theodore Holm, Leta Hughey, Benjamin Y. Morrison, Mrs. George M. Mullett, Frances Carnes Weintraub, Edna May Whitehorn, or possibly another illustrator. via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Wirestem muhly (Muhlenbergia frondosa) is a grass in the — family. Native range includes AR, KS, MO, OK. Hardy in zones 2b–10a. Mature size 6"–3'. Blooms Mar–May.

Why it's on this list: native species profile. Native-range data from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (NPIN), cross-checked against iNaturalist observations. Part of Rooted Revival's regional native plant catalog — true natives for Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In the same native range, wirestem muhly pairs naturally with: Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum).