Sweet Grass is a native ornamental grass with attractive purple to green foliage. This plant is especially well suited for planting in landscape areas that receive minimal maintenance and is generally marketed by the nursery trade in the southeastern U.S. under the common name purple muhly. This species is an important component of the coastal ecological community. Its root system provides structural stability to the soils. Habitat: Found in dunes and barrier islands. Very salt and wet soils tolerant
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Sand
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaf-blades are 13- to 39-inches long and 1/2- to 1 inch wide, usually involute (rolled inwards), dark green in color, and smooth on the upper surface and rough on the lower.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower detail
The elongated panicles are 7- to 24- inches long and diffuse or open, with fine branches. Spikelets are 3- to 5-mm long and purplish in color. October to November.
Bloom time
Fall
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Pink
Fruit type
Caryopsis
Fruit detail
Pinkish maturing to brown fruit displays from October to December.
Stem detail
Upright culms are 2-5 feet tall and mostly unbranched and smooth although there may be a few hairs ant the sheath
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southeastern U.S.A.
Wildlife value
This plant attracts birds, butterflies, and mammals. It provides cover, nesting sites, and travel corridors for song birds, waterfowl, and small mammals.
Attracts
Butterflies; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Caryopsis
Uses (ethnobotany)
Used in coiled basketry (sweetgrass baskets) in the Low Country.