SHINING MUTTONGRASS

Poa fendleriana

Grass Family (Poaceae)

Probably the first native grass to flower in the spring in foothill communities throughout our region, shining muttongrass is also one of the prettiest. It features tight clumps of deep green to blue-green foliage and erect flowering stalks with relatively large spikelets that are a beautiful pearly pink to shining green to nearly purple. Shining muttongrass is also one of the most shade-tolerant of the native grasses, often found growing happily in the shade beneath junipers, pinyons, and oaks. This, combined with its relatively low water requirement, makes it especially useful in a dry shade garden. It can fill the design niche commonly occupied by blue fescue in sunny garden settings as well, making it very versatile. Shining muttongrass stays green all summer on a minimum of water and helps to add structure to the landscape during the heat of the summer.