Grass or grass-like · Poaceae

Scratchgrass

Muhlenbergia asperifolia

Scratchgrass is recorded as native to 27 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 375 counties of those states by USDA PLANTS.

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

Key facts · USDA PLANTS

Scratchgrass at a glance

Native in: 375 counties, across 27 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 5b PLANTS minimum temperature −18°F
Mature height: 2 ft PLANTS mature height
Light and water: Tolerates shade High water use

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 5b. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of −18°F; zone 5b winters bottom out at −15°F, the coldest half-zone that stays within that limit.

Counties where it is native

The 15 counties with the most ZIP codes among the 375 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Arizona 8 counties
California 24 counties
Colorado 33 counties
Idaho 16 counties
Illinois 13 counties
Indiana 1 county
Iowa 6 counties
Kansas 31 counties
Kentucky 1 county
Minnesota 17 counties
Missouri 6 counties
Montana 4 counties
Nebraska 26 counties
Nevada 11 counties
New Mexico 24 counties
New York 3 counties
North Dakota 32 counties
Ohio 3 counties
Oklahoma 9 counties
Oregon 12 counties
Pennsylvania 2 counties
South Dakota 13 counties
Texas 22 counties
Utah 24 counties
Washington 9 counties
Wisconsin 7 counties
Wyoming 18 counties

Growing traits

Values from the PLANTS characteristics record. “Not recorded” means PLANTS has no value; nothing here is estimated except the zone.

Growth

Growth habit: Graminoid
Duration: Perennial
Mature height: 2 ft
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth form: Rhizomatous
Shape: Decumbent
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring, Summer, Fall

Light and water

Shade tolerance: Tolerant (tolerates shade)
Moisture use: High water use
Drought tolerance: Low
Tolerance of waterlogged soil: Medium
Precipitation range: 12 to 40 in per year

Soil

Soil textures: Medium and fine
pH range: 6 to 8.4
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: High
Salinity tolerance: High
Fertility requirement: Low
Minimum root depth: 8 in

Climate

Minimum temperature: −18°F
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 5b and warmer
Minimum frost-free days: 120
Fire tolerance: High

Flowers, leaves and fruit

Flower color: Purple
Showy flowers: No
Bloom period: Early Summer
Foliage color: Yellow-Green
Showy in fall: No
Keeps leaves: No
Fruit color: Brown

Other

Toxicity: None
Nitrogen fixation: None
Nursery availability: No Known Source
Family: Poaceae
PLANTS symbol: MUAS

Source & data date

Source: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).; Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.; USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.; Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date: Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Scope: Muhlenbergia asperifolia (PLANTS symbol MUAS).
Method: A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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