Hi GGG,

I looked for grasses a while back and came up with a list that I chose a few from - here are the ones I found that are supposed to be well-behaved and have some pink/purple (some are native):

Panicum virgatum "Shenandoah" (purplish/red leaves and flowers in fall)
Muhly grass (pink-purple influorescence)
Calamagrostis "Overdam" (pinkish tassles)
Pennisetum "Karley Rose" (pinkish flowers)

Ones that were described as self-seeders/invasive:
Miscanthus (somewhat invasive here so i avoided)
Eragrostis spectablis (purple love grass -- supposed to self-seed some, but I bought it anyway as it looked beautiful and I figured its native so probably won't self-seed in an invasive manner)

I found most of these at Lazy S's, but didnt buy from them in the end.

Here is a link that might be useful: grasses

I second the Muhly grass suggestion. I have several (not the pink)that have been in the ground for years (7) and have really stayed in place. All they need is a spring time hair cut.
I also like the Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima) it does sow itself around some but it is so beautiful.

Thank-you for your suggestions! I did get a muhly, finally, from the tree sale this weekend. I'd wanted some but they are always out.
If you are interested in how to mix muhly, grasses or other natives in the garden, the Trees Atlanta building is a fine sight to paruse. It's just gorgeous.
I am planning to go over and snoop their gardens again in the next week or so because it is fully of great ideas!!

GGG

Since GGG has received some answers, can I just slightly hijack the thread? I'd like to see a list of "well-behaved" grasses including those that aren't necessarily "pink/purple".

I don't think Hamlin grass is a problem, Brandon. I bought three the other week, and was told it should be fine.

Just for reference, here is a page on native warm season grasses that one of our native plant society members put together.

Here is a link that might be useful: Native warm season grasses

My Miscanthus sinesis 'Silber Fedder' has been in the same spot for 8 years now and has only spread to about 4 feet in diameter and produced just two babies from seeds one that I have transplanted and one that I traded away.
Northern Sea Oats will stay put but, one must collect the seeds before spring or plants will be coming up everywhere(the babies are pulled easily though). The patch I grow by my pond has been there for five years and never gets any bigger. I usually remove the seed heads in January.
Is there such a thing as any well behaved plant? I find different things growing all over the place. I must have spilled some pepper seeds in a large container of soil in the greenhouse last winter because I have had peppers come up in four or five potted plants. Since they have a cool dark foliage, I just leave them.

so, i guess sea oats are out of the question? =P

Sea Oats will work in the waterway area. I need certain plants for the cleansing of water -sea oats is a good one for this. I also really want to find some cat tails!!

Darn! I literally just had to pull all the seed heads on mine (sea oats). I made the mistake of leaving them on last year, and my neighbor ran over them with the lawn mower and I was picking babies out of one of my beds for a week ;)

I would have gladly reserved a gaggle of heads for you if I'd have seen this prior to last weekend. For me, if I don't pull the seedheads before mid-october, they start dropping. I just took all of them and laced the shoddy city runoff creek behind my house. Been trying to do everything I can to make that nicer. It's been overrun with browntop and wisteria for far too long...

Aren't those called "river oats" ? Anyway, for those that aren't familiar, the latin name is Chasmanthium latifolium.

If you can find cattails, I think you can just yank up a piece and use that to start a new plant.

I'm pretty sure my neighbor has some if it ever dries out enough to grab some seed heads!
Esh, I recently found out there are two kinds of "sea oats" river oats...I don't think the common names deliniate one from the other and now I've forgotten the botanical names.

You can see all the species at this link: looks like there are "slender", "shiny" and "longleaf" woodoats (as USDA likes to call them) in addition to the more well known one (which they call "Indian woodoats"). All four kinds are found in Georgia in various parts. There is another one called "birdbill" that is found in all the states around us ... I imagine it just not has been documented here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chasmanthium genus page

thank-you Esh, as always, you are such a font of knowledge!!

What we have is either woodoats or river oats. i went and looked at several phtos of each and can't tell the difference.