It might overwinter in a heated garage, but it also might not. The people who discovered the plant call it hardy to 20°F.

'Red Riding Hood' is a marketing name, given to Pennisetum setaceum 'Eaton Canyon' developed by Magic Growers Nursery in Pasadena. Proven Winners has renamed it, against the wishes of Magic Growers.

My advice with fast growing tender perennial grasses, such as Rubrum and Eaton Canyon are to treat them as annuals. Not suggesting that money grows on trees, but I rarely find that people are happy with the results of what grows from these over-wintering attempts. Likewise, in zone 8, where the plant nearly dies out, but has enough energy to push up a half-hearted display in spring...gives the plant a bad name...lol. I cut my dozen clumps of Rubrum in my yard back recently and am waiting to see if I get some rsults, but wil likely dig up the remains and start over. They grow fast, bloom proficiently and make a great display all spring, summer, and into fall. Great attributes for any annual, treat it as such. IMHO

I go along with grass guy on this one. It's simply not worh the effort for the result. I've known a few who managed to winter them over successfully but they never held a candle to their former, pre-winter appearance and they typically wound up tossing them.

Santa Rosa has it for $6.95 a piece, and Parks sells it for $3.31 each if you buy three, but it comes to $20 once you include the shipping costs. Does anyone know of any other online sources? Can you buy seeds for this?

Seeds, if any, are sterile. You can always look for it locally in garden centers as the season warms up and they offer their full selection of annuals. Red or purple leafed forms of Pennisetum setaceum are very popular seasonal items throughout the country.

Not likely to find it here locally. I live in "the boonies" as they say, and the couple local nurseries carry only the standard generic stuff, so I have to get most of my stuff online. I try to give the local places as much business as I can, to support my community, and every now and then they will have something unusual.

highalttransplant - boy that's a long name :o)
Have you tried talking to your local nurseries. Often if you put in a request & tell them how popular the plant is they might just decide to carry it. Or ... how about suggesting that you split a plug order with them .....

AND
I just have to tell you all something .... amusing???
In Costa Rica they grow the purple leaved pennisetums for ....... horse fodder!!!! Yup, that plant that we all love to have in our garden is just plain old horse food to Costa Ricans :o)
pictures & a separate post to follow as soon as I get back home.
A.

Achnatherum,
Thanks for the suggestion! I called, and one of the places here in my small town, has plugs growing in her greenhouse. She says they are tiny right now, but if I wanted to pay for some, she would set them aside for me : ) Hers cost a little more than Park's, but since I won't have to pay shipping, I may actually come out ahead a buck or two.

I buy mine at Home Depot every year because they are much cheaper than local nurseries.

Home Depot probably has Rubrum, but not Eaton Canyon.

It's a mute point. There is no Home Depot within an hours drive of my home. I live in a small town, the largest town near me (which is still a 20 minute drive) has a Lowe's, so I could check there, but for what I would spend in gas, I'd be better off buying it locally. Plus I'd rather give my money to a small family run business anyway.