Muhlenbergia dumosa Lynn Lowrey When the leaves finally drop

When the leaves finally drop

The shrub favors damp

and little or no summer water once established

the long arc of subtropical islands south of Japan

leaving offsets to carry on

Muhlenbergia dumosa Lynn Lowrey When the leaves finally dropMuhlenbergia dumosa, bamboo muhly, is a desert born grass with the grace of bamboo, drifting like cloud shadow across the canyon floor. From the arid uplands and rocky washes of northern Mexico and southern Arizona, where sun scorched cliffs and canyon walls shaped the character of the species, bamboo muhly evolved to thrive on dry air and lean soils, and yet carries the fluid elegance of true bamboo, swaying at the faintest breeze. The genus honors