I have it growing for 2 years now in my long garden...it's a wonderful grass and does not spread much. Right now the flowerheads are a russet color and make a great accent behind my perennials as they sway in the breeze. We have planted many grasses and this has turned out to be one of our favorites.

Molie

Thanks, Molie. I'm so glad to hear it because I'm going out and buying two of these!

Get three, never plant in even numbers.. ;)

I have had mine for three seasons now and they have grown to about 15 inches wide. I think how wide it gets will depend on how much you have crowded around it. Remember you will need to have some access because you need to cut them back each spring.

It's a beautiful grass, one of my favorites. I especially like it during the winters when the other plants have died down. I have it in a garden bed in the front yard and I can see it a block away as I am coming home - it always makes me smile.

I agree with windwhipped... this grass is beautiful in the winter, especially against the snow. Enjoy! And, yes...plant in odd numbers.
Molie

odd-numbers...1 nice grass, on either side of the entry path to a garden, counts as two odd-numbered (1) plantings.

I'm joining Donn here. Grasses such as Karl can be specimen plants and two can make a good statement.

You won't need to divide it. And at the time you need to cut it down the flowers should not be up high anyway.

Karl will not spread much at all.

I have a bed approx the same size and the focal point is a Hydrangea, and on both sides of it I have Molinia Skyracer, one on each side. Surrounded by a bunch of different perennials. Three would be overwhelming.

And don't hesitate to put ornamental grasses towars the front of the bed. They can be real showoffs there.

Polly

One on either side does equate to a pair of odd numbered units however your minds eye will not see them as odd numbers but as a pair which is an even numbered unit.

Is it semantics or is it factual ?? Either way Karl being planted and used as sentinels at the garden entrance is a formidable statement that I have used in several garden designs.

I have used both Karl and Heavy Metal, separately of course, to serve this purpose well.
Both are very vertical and clean in their starched presentation.

Gotta like Âem both, anywhere, in a landscape.

Jake

Thanks for the comments, everyone. I ended up with two, because two seemed to fit the space better than three. After things grow in, I may add some smaller grasses toward the front.

Thanks again!

I live on the Central CA. coast.
I have 24 of these beautiful plants. Put in the ground at 5 gallons exactly one year ago, they are comfortable enough to constantly put out runners....lots of runners. That is something I had not expected and presents a constant maintenance challenge. They favor the yards wetter areas and are not doing well on slopes where the ground stays fairly dry. Cutting back 24 of these plants is proving to be a nightmare. Any suggestions?

It will be a chore, but if you re-plant them in heavy duty bottomless pots, you'll limit the suckering almost entirely. Use pots at least a foot deep, and leave an inch exposed above ground. Then cover that with mulch.

I have several in different places around my yard, with one on each side of a garden entrance, & they all look wonderful. They haven't spread, are 7 yrs old & have not needed dividing. One of my faves.

I planted 30 on each side of my driveway with a blue spruce, nine bark diablo and royal red maple for some color and texture contrast. I'l post some pics near the end of the second growing season. It already is getting lots of complimens from neighborhood dog walkers! Mass planting grasses is a great way to go if you have the real estate!