09/13/2026
We have been growing this lovely South African savannah plant for several years. A favorite, Pink Crystals, Ruby Grass, (Melinis nerviglumis), is a vibrant annual grass that thrives in Texas. It features striking rosy pink seed heads and prefers full sun, requiring minimal water, making it an excellent choice for very dry areas the landscape, especially in xeric gardens with decomposed granite beds.
It stays small, getting only about 18 to 24 inches tall and a little less wide. The delicate, light green foliage clumps from a single base, the same as other ornamental grasses. But the best feature on this plant is the rosy pink, softly textured seed heads.
Ruby crystals grass prefers the full, intense sun, takes very little water, even during establishment, and looks great from spring all the way through summer. The seed heads detach and blow away once they’ve dried, and the plant reseeds easily around the garden, so keep an eye out for it in areas where you might not want it to grow and simply pull the seedlings before they get very big.
