Make sure you get a named cultivar - 'Red Baron' is the most common. Unnamed or inferior cultivars have a tendency to reversion and the non-red forms of Imperata cylindrica are highly invasive weeds in most areas. If it does develop solid green reversion, rogue it out immediately.

Red Baron is a warm season grass, herbaceous in winter. It does not produce flowers or seed and must be propagated vegetatively. It will only get about 18" tall and IME, is slow to establish and spread in normal garden soils - more moist conditions may speed establishment. It needs at least some sun to develop full, rich color but would appreciate some shade in hot climates.

In mid to late summer, the red color is very intense and backlit by sun, the grass is almost transparent. I sell a ton of it! With fall, the red tones turn a more coppery color. It is also great in container plantings.

Gardengal does an excellent job of summing up this grass. I really enjoyed it this last season and can see why one would want to have it. All the suggestions/advice GG gives is spot on.

I'm having a hard time finding a supplier. Why's that do you think? Also, is it hardy to zone 6b?

Marianne

Your garden centers are most likely setting up their spring orders now...see if you can get in contact with them.

Hardy for you, BTW.

Thanks!

Marianne

Gardengal48 is spot-on about RBG.

Perhaps 'Red Baron' can never bloom or make seeds when grown in retail containers, but I have observed my own 2nd year ground plantings produce a nice inflorescence in one of the hottest dryest months of July ever in NJ (2010); conditions that it really doesn't prefer. I kept the area between the clumps mulched in pine bark and watered the bed weekly.

Because it is slow to establish and slow to spread, I can't emphasize enough how important mulching is to prevent the invasion of wild perennial weeds amongst it. For example, clovers and tall fescue compete well against RBG and would be impossible to remove without killing the RBG if their root systems intermingle.