When it arrives
Your plug tray
Plant plugs in late spring once soil is warm, or pot into 4 in pots first. Keep moist for a few weeks while roots grow out. Plugs grow quickly in summer heat but may not plume much the first year.
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Real dishes from our Field Notes recipes, shared by the people who made them.
Candy Floss grown by our community
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- Mature height
- 42.0 in
- Mature spread
- 48.0 in
- Bloom
- Early-September – peak Mid-September
- Fragrance
- None
- Deer
- Resistant
Lavender companion · grow guide
How to grow Candy Floss
Pink Muhly Grass · Muhlenbergia capillaris
Pink muhly grass needs full sun and well-drained soil. It's very drought tolerant and puts up clouds of pink plumes in fall, but it can be marginal in cold, wet zone 5 winters.
Check my zone & planting dates
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Full sunLight
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Low waterFast drainage
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pH 5.5–8.0Soil
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Zones 6a–10bHardiness
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42″ tall48″ wide
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ResistantDeer · rabbits some resistance
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Not known toxicPets
Huckleberry saysTell me where you grow and I’ll check if Candy Floss will thrive there.
Hardy in zones 6a–10b
Spring to early summer, so it's well rooted before its first winter.
Your year with Candy Floss
JFMAMJJASOND
When to plant
Spring to early summer, so it's well rooted before its first winter.
How deep
Set the crown level with the soil surface; don't bury it.
Spacing
About 2–3 ft apart; mass plantings look best.
Soil
Any soil type that drains: sand, loam, rocky, even clay if not soggy · pH 5.5–8.0
Fix-it tip: Not fussy about soil or pH, only drainage. In heavy clay, plant on a mound or slope with added grit so the crown stays dry in winter.
Sun
Full sun (tolerates light part sun).
Full sun gives the best pink fall plumes; in shade it flowers poorly.
Don’t give up on it
Is it alive? What spring looks like
A warm-season grass: it greens up late, usually mid-to-late spring once soil warms. Old tan foliage hides new green blades at the base; look closely before giving up.
Spring
Cut back old foliage before new growth; plant plugs.
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Summer
Green mounds; little care.
Fall
Pink plumes; leave standing.
Winter
Tan foliage for interest; keep crown dry.
Watering
First season: Water deeply weekly the first summer until new blades grow strongly.
After that: Very drought tolerant; rarely needs water once established.
Feeding
Not needed. Extra nitrogen makes floppy growth and fewer plumes.
Pruning & deadheading
Leave the tan plumes and foliage for winter interest. Cut back to a few inches in late winter or early spring before new growth starts.
Dividing
Rarely needed. Divide in spring if the center dies out.
Winter
Rated to about zone 5 by NC State, but it can be marginal in cold, wet zone 5 winters. Sharp drainage and leaving the foliage standing improve survival.
Summer heat
Loves heat and humidity; fine-textured green mounds through summer, with pink plumes in early fall.
No green by late May
Likely cause: Normal late start for warm-season grass, or winter loss
What to do: Wait until June; tug gently—living crowns are firmly anchored.
Few or no pink plumes
Likely cause: Too much shade, water or fertilizer, or first year
What to do: Give full sun and lean, dry soil; be patient the first year.
Plant flops open
Likely cause: Rich soil or overwatering
What to do: Stop feeding and watering.
Too wet or too dry?
Yellowing and rot at the base, especially after winter: too wet. Leaf blades rolling tightly in drought is normal; water if it lasts weeks.
Watch for
- Crown rot in wet winter soil
- Muhly grass mealybug (mostly in the Southeast)
- Few other problems
Pets & wildlife
Not listed by ASPCA; no known toxicity reported. Discourage pets from chewing any garden plant.
Deer: resistant · Rabbits: somewhat resistant
Finnegan saysStill not sure what’s wrong? Ask Plant Health — describe it or add a photo.
In a container
Good in pots · 3 gallon+
Looks great in pots; use well-drained mix. In zone 5, overwinter the pot in an unheated garage.
Indoors
Outdoor plant
Needs full sun and outdoor seasons.
Winter chill
No chill needed
Blooms in fall on the current year's growth; no chilling needed.
Growing it on
Plugs from the tray
3–4 inch pots for 3–5 weeks, until roots hold the soil
Garden bed or a 3 gallon pot
Time to move up? Slide the plant out: if white roots wrap the outside of the soil, it’s ready for the next size.
Planting with lavender
Plant it right alongside lavender
Same full sun, well-drained soil and low water. Its fine texture and pink fall clouds extend the season after lavender's bloom and look lovely behind gray lavender mounds.
Same bedNearbyIts own area
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