I can't help you with zone info since my area is so much colder, but thought I would respond anyway since you have only gotten one response so far. My three Bowles Golden grow in a wet area in the far right corner of my backyard on very heavy clay. The area is very wet, sometimes lying in water for weeks in spring/early summer, followed by drier conditions later in the season. I never supplement water in this part of the yard, so if summer is dry, the plants there go dry too. Never had much of a problem with the GBs, but my soil is very moisture retentive. The soil is alkaline, but this area because of the wet soil (rotting stuff) tends to be a bit more acidic than the rest of my gardens. My GBs grows with things like Itea, Clethra Hummingbird, Variegated red-twig dogwoods, and Japanese candelabra primrose. The area has no tree cover but the shrubs have grown tall enough over the years to provide about 1/2 day shade now to the GBs. The GBs provide season long color (after the early color punch of the primulas is only a memory). The three are planted in a wide triangle (not right next to each other) and can be seen well from the patio near the house. The GBs contrast beautifully with the green shrub foliage, and purely by serendipity, make a beautiful contrast with two large Physocarpus Diablos on a little rise just behind the "wet" garden. My three plants are five years old, and are now about two and a half feet tall and a bit narrower, maybe two feet wide. I have had to move one of them because of shrub growth. The plants stay in clumps which gets somewhat fuller each year. They were about 12-18 inches tall by 6-12 inches wide and a bit wispy by the end of the first season. Growth has been moderate, but they have basically held their own with the "thicketing" type shrubs used in this area. With your longer season and milder winters (perhaps better soil too) yours might grow quicker. Color impact was immediate (shrubs were small too when this area was planted). Color stays well all season, but of course they do get somewhat duller as the season progresses, however they do not green out. But remember our season is very short here, compared to yours, but we can have hot humid summers, it's just that our spring and falls only last a minute! These are beautiful, absolutely no care plants, other than a few chops of the old dead stuff with hedge sheers in spring.

The place I have in mind for the carex has morning shade til around 1 pm, and some spotty afternoon shade moving over it. It is moister than the rest of the strip, by being next to a downspout. I really like this plant: I may go get more if I could figure out where to put them. I have lots of dry shade in a back garden raised bed under ash trees. I have a watering systems set up there. But it gets pretty dry if I donÂt stay on top of it. Will they take dry shade? With occasional good soaks? Hosta does OK, and and astilbe do well there. The gold color would really light up that area. How big does M. 'Morning Light' get? The tag said 5 feet tall and wide, is that correct?. I would like a large "anchor" for this space. But more than 5 feet wide would be pushing it. Fast grower? ItÂs a gallon pot now so is only maybe 6 inches in diameter. The Cabaret Grass is supposed to get as tall but be narrower. That one is a wider bladed striped grass, green with white streaks. ItÂs also a miscanthus sinensis but a variant. I think I will lay a soaker in this area to help get these plants established. I see beautiful grasses in lots of gardens but I really donÂt know how to integrate them into my current garden. Except for some older shrubs in my front yard everything is oriented toward flowers (except for heuchera and hosta). I have a large island bed in the front I am renovating: keeping the shrubs and working in new perennials. I have a huge old mugho pine at one end (easily 15 feet tall), toward the street, in between variegated weigelia (2), barberries (2), and some bronzy dwarf spirea at the opposite end and Palace Purple heuchera. There is a lot of color variation in the leaves, from solid green (the pine) to green and white, to purple, to bronze. Since I bought 4 grasses IÂm thinking about putting one of them here but I canÂt figure out where it would look good and which one. The pine casts a lot of shade so probably not right next to that.

I would think this grass to be marginally hardy for you. This is an evergreen carex and comparisons to a herbaceous grass like Panicum are not meaningful but new growth should be apparent by now. It is currently flowering in my climate. I have found proper siting of this grass important to its long term health. It is a wood sedge and prefers a rich, moisture retentive soil in light shade. Full sun, dry conditions and extreme cold temps are not at all to its liking. Make sure it gets sufficient water and don't cut back any further - you may still see some signs of growth.

I ran across this the other night. Its a good one for comparing color and size. I think its a gorgeous mass planting of various grasses. To complicate matters in your decision making process, there is a variegated Moor Grass (Molina) that is quite small, has a white stripe on the leaves and very cold hardy. Has fantastic seed heads that would add interest. I'm in love with Sesleria autumnalis. Its small, yellow green, tough and really brightens up a spot. The seed heads are downright cute. I'm ordering several more if SRG puts them on sale in late fall & I'm saving seed from the plants I have to sow. They have done beautifully and are 0 maintenance with no extra watering, sun or shade. There is a smaller one that is blue, its used in this planting below. Very well behaved with good color and habit. Chicago/Grant Park grasses