Both of my books say zone 6.

I tried it once. It came back the second year, but stayed spindly and small. By the third year, it was a no show. Same experience for my MIL who lives a mile away from me.

Everything I have says z6 but then I'll see threds with responses with a z5. Didn't know if I could push it with heavy mulching in winter and if the z5 would slow the spreading habbit of this grass. Any substitutes for this zone for short red color? Wanted the grass for around some Japanese Maples, conifers, and other asian type planting.

You could try Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah.' It's taller (4' with flowers) and not as red, but a nice grass, nonetheless.

Why not try one? If it dies you have not lost much money. I recently read a quote from someone, "plants do not read what is written about them." I found this rather amusing. Of course you should be careful about damaging the roots of what sound like some very nice plants.

Good luck, Dennis

Here in Minnesota I find that it survives about three out of four years. This past winter it endured minus twenty degrees with no protection. Last year it survived also but I usually bring a pot of it indoors for insurance.

Some of those "very nice plants" were just put in the ground this spring so not much of a root problem yet. Some of the other very nice plants are still waiting to be bought and put in the ground this fall. So many plans... Kicker, does the blood grass spread much in z4 or does it pretty much stay put?

No problem with this one becoming invasive as it is a slow spreading clumper. One year it reverted on me and the green form is much more aggressive and more cold tolerant too.

Here in Z4b-5 I planted 9 Imperata's around a clump of M.s. Silberfeder, the first year the Red Baron looked great. Over wintered and we lost 3 or 4. The remaining plants came back in pretty good shape. The third year we had one plant show up in the spring and nothing after that.

Never mulched or made any effort to protect.

As one very knowledgeable plant person once stated " ... I'll kill it three times before I give up on it."

If we see a plant that reads as being marginal and if we really like it, we buy it and see what happens, if it doesnÂt survive then we try something else.

Jake

I think I will try out some next year when I have those beds ready. Thanks to evryone for the advice, and hopefully they work.

I posted earlier that mine had died out, but I just noticed a couple stalks poking out from between my ever spreading coneflowers. So I wouldn't say it does not survive zone 5 winters, but it will need extra TLC and put in a sheltered location for it to do well. Mine is in a north facing open bed. I should find a south facing location next to the brick foundation to create a micro-climate.