You'll have to wait longer to see if your pampas grass is still alive. They're a warm weather grass and don't come up until later here.
Is your grass the *true* pampas grass? (Cortaderia) If so it probably didn't survive as they're only hardy to zone 8.
But it is more likely what they market here (in the cold zones) as Hardy Pampas Grass which is really Ravennae Grass (Saccharum ravennae). It gets huge eventually, about 14 feet tall with flowers that start slightly pink and turn silver in the fall. That is what I have and it survives nicely every winter.

Actually, there are some cultivars of C. selloana that are hardy to at least zone 6. They include:

'Andes Silver'
'Patagonia'
'Pumila'

Thanks WindyAcre: I'll wait to see.....Is there a time frame you could tell me?..I'd hate to dig them out if they are going to live...

Thanks Donn :I'll check out those that you have mentioned

Windyacre:I looked all over and found the tag thingies that come with plants when you buy them and yes it does say Cortaderia Selloana Rosea..hmmmmmmph I bought that and a white one as well..A guy suggested I get it that was wandering around the plant place(nursery)..when I was looking for plants. I'm wondering why they would sell if it doesn't grow here...Ok back to the drawing board..It's maybe for the best..it may have gotten way to big....I would like something about 6 or 7 feet tall and maybe 2 1/2 feet at the widest..any suggestions..it is to fill in 2 back corners.. Thanks Deb

I love my Maiden's Hair, Sinensis Gracillimus. It grows 4-5 feet tall, has a nice fine leaf, and white flowers above in late August, September. It will fan out more than a few feet, but the foliage makes a wonderful backdrop in a garden.

JROOT: Does the Maiden Hair grow in larger clumps than 2 1/2 feet..(thats about how wide) I would like to have it?
Thanks Deb

Sinensis Gracillimus!!??? Must be a new ornamental grass? Tanin't ne'er hered of Sinensis Gracillimus. Miscanthus sinensis "Gracillimus' but not Sinensis Gracillimus.

If you are going to use the botanical names of grasses use the correct and full botanical name. The newbies to the forum are asking for our assistance and misleading them by using improper names is not a good practice.

Jake

All the tall, clumping grasses are eventually going to outgrow your wanted 2 1/2 foot width. You'll have to just divide or carve off a piece every few years if you want to keep them to a specific size.
Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' is a lovely 7 ft grass you might like to try. Narrow leaves with a white leaf margin. Very graceful, cascading foliage that doesn't flop like others might. It is hardy to zone 5 and quite easy to find at area nurseries here.
"Maiden Hair" is a common name for Miscanthus sinensis grasses.
If you haven't dug out your Pampas grass yet, I would wait longer to see if it survived. Even into June. It might if it was in a protected microclimate or was covered in snow all winter. You never know....it's fun to beat the zones!

Myback Garden, Miscanthus sinensis Gracillimus, does indeed spread but it can be thinned readily. I started with a small plug of it, and it was about the size you wanted. Yes, it did grow. Yes, I did chop it in half again and give some to my friends. Now I want it to grow to a larger size, and it is rewarding me with a wonderful natural fence.

Jake, I understand your comment, and the need for proper names. Most of us know the full name, but are not necessarily so impulsively driven to use them all the time, especially in a time when the use of short forms are becoming more accepted in the language. You jumped on me last year, and you did it again. Really, I don't need to be lectured from the "guru of grasses" anymore. I will try to be a good boy. Maybe I just shouldn't contribute at all. That way, I wouldn't offend you. But then again, maybe someone might not get an answer to their question.

Oh, what to do !

Thanks Windyacre and Jroot: Question..Are you both talking about the same grass?? Miscanthus sinensis Gracillimus..Is this Morning Light? I am in zone 6b..

Thanks so much Deb

Hi Deb,

Miscanthus sinensis is the genus and species, and 'Gracillimus' and 'Morning Light' are two different varieties. 'Gracillimus' is all green, and 'Morning Light' is green with a very narrow white margin. I LOVE 'Morning Light' and highly recommend it.

Skybird

"Oh, what to do !"

I'd use the full Latin name for the first mention, and abbreviate to M. sinensis in the 2nd mention. After that, M.s. will suffice.

There are lots of critters with "sinensis" in their name.

Camellia sinensis
Citrus sinensis
Cordyceps Sinensis
Alligator sinensis
Eriocheir sinensis
Wisteria sinensis
Bretschneidera sinensis
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Angelica sinensis
Primula sinensis
Pseudocydonia sinensis

To name but a few.

I like the Miscanthus sinensis Gracillimus "Maiden hair". I find her graceful in the breeze, and it plumes up nicely.

My neighbour also has the "morning light". It also is a very nice grass as well. The shape is very similar except for the white margin. When he bought it, he was told it was "Maiden's hair", and he has a degree in horticulture and landscaping. We've had a few lively discussions about it.

Good compromise, Donn. Thanks for the suggestion.

Just a little latin trivia...Sinensis means "of China."

Thanks to everyone for all the information..I'm soooooooooooo excited to get some grasses as well as other types of plants for my garden..

Looks like I may have to wait a bit though..It is April 23 and snooooowing here in Southwestern Ontario...This weather is the pits.. and the few plants I do have I am worried sick over them and about the cold and snow doing them in.
It is supposed to snow for a couple of days..My lawn was a nice green ..now it is white..

Windyacre and Jroot..Is it snowing in your neck of the woods as well??

Yup, it's snowing sideways! :(
It's very wet and not going to stay on the ground long though (I hope!)

It has snowed last evening, and they are calling for snow early tomorrow morning. We did not get as much as the poor folk in Wiarton where they got over 20 cm last night. Tha't depressing.

I did get my Brugmansias, dahlias, cannas, and seedlings into the garage. That was a blessing as they would not have survived the snow. However, the grasses look really good. The moisture will benefit them immensely, as we have not had a lot of moisture this month so far.

As I look out my window, I see a spot for some new grass. I was thinking "Carex pendula" (Weeping sedge) which grows about 40-50" and blooms in July-August. This might be an interesting grass to grow in an area where there is light shade and moist soil. Last year, I grew Elephant Ears there, but they are a lot of work in the fall. Apparently the CP will survive up to a zone 2.

I also definitely need something that the rabbits will leave alone. They have demolished many of my shrubs and vines.

Any ideas about that?

Jroot:I should have taken a pic of the sonow we had here. It was like a winter day..grass was covered ..truck and car covered..eeeeeeeek I just about cried when I looked out and saw it...lol..I still have a small chunk of it on the back grass where I shovelled the back porch off 3 times.It was about 2 1/2 feet..(the pile).

I wish I could grow Elephant Ear...the folks on My Hypertufa Forum use them to make tufa stepping stones..They are great..
If you decide you still will grow the Elephant Ears..I'll buy a couple of leaves off you..:)

I might be able to give you some advice on the rabbits next year... lol.. as this is the 1st year I really am going to have anything in the garden. I grew a few things last year but it's all still very bare back there.....If the rabbits come to feast on my grasses.. I'll let you know which ones they are.. :)

You should be able to grow EE in zone 6, if I can grow them in zone 5. One does have to take the bulb indoors for the winter though. They require a sunny/partial sunny location in a damp soil. My wife LOVES them.

I got elephant ear bulbs from Home Depot...3 in a pack for 5.95. I bought two packs and got them started in pots in my greenhouse. I'll put them in 1/2 barrels outside later after the frost date. I'm looking forward to making stepping stones from the leaves.
A good solution for the rabbits might be bunny stew! They like to chew on a few of my shrubs and trees too :( Especially burning bushes and my 6 baby redbud trees I've nutured from 18" saplings to 4' trees that are finally blooming. They gave several evergreen Carex oshimensis 'Evergold' a lopsided haircut.
The snow melted and the sun came out last evening giving me time to dig and divide several clumps of Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Forester'. Got them back in the ground in time for them to be rained on all day, today. The small divisions got potted for my yearly plant sale.
Any sign of life in the Pampa grass yet?

Jroot and Wyndyacre; Oh yaaaaaaaaaaay that is awesome..You two may be able to grow them..hahah but ya gotta remember I just about do everything I try to grow..in..hahahahaha...

I'll go to HD and get some and TRY to grow them..They make awesome stones and fountain leaves..
Thanks Deb

Wyndyacre: Not a single sign of life yet in the Pampas grass..I'm pretty sure it's gone to Pampa..land(thats heaven for the grasses) :) lol

I think it's alive??..
I was digging out the dead clumps of Cortaderia Selloana Rosea yesterday....yikes they have huge roots..anyway I had the two dug out and had just stuck the shovel in for the third when I noticed some green...some of the clump parts have turned green..
Does this mean it's alive??
They are still the creamy biegie colour but about 4 or 5 of them are green as well...(they are not new shoots)..and they were not there before..I've looked over that clump at least 20 times..in the past 2 weeks.there was not one speck of green to be found.
They are real green not just a little bit.
I'm so hoping it's alive..
What do you think?
Thanks Deb