Since pampas grass is evergreen, especially in the OP's climate, it doesn't require cutting back annually. There are many plantings of it my area that rarely get cut back. In fact, it tends to look better and with a more natural fountaining habit if left untrimmed. For that reason, plus the fact that most grasses are very drought tolerant and do not require any fertilization, it IS considered very low maintenance. If the grass does need attention - removing old, tattered plumes, the occasional trimming or very infrequent dividing - be sure to wear gloves and protective clothing. The blades are very sharp and can cut easily.

How hardy is this plant? Can it be killed off with herbicide - which herbicide is recommended and when should it be applied? Please be aware this may look interesting but it is a horrible species and takes over wetland areas. It grows very tall and spreads to fill the area where it is planted - dense tall grass. I have 8 acres of wetlands registered as conservation lands - they are in the headwaters of one of the major rivers here in Southern Ontario. This grass is taking over from the Bull Rushes and many local plant species and simply out-competes them - result is a mono-culture of this species. It is invassive and has spread 2 km from someones garden in local village. It is now about 100 yards from my property - filling all ditches and wetland areas. Consider it to be an INVASSIVE and NON-NATIVE species. It will destroy all local habitat for native butterflies, insects, birds etc. which are currently thriving here. I suggest that it is best to find a local species of plant for whatever your needs. I've also spent 5-6 years fighting Garlic Mustard - another invassive species that was taking over in 23 acres of my adjacent woodlands - this also becomes a monoculture and starves out all other plants. I have extensive Trillium flowering in the spring along with many other local species of native flowers and young tree seedlings under the mature Canopy of hardwoods. Apparently the leaves of this invasive species also kills off other plants. Last year Ifinally got on top of Mustard weed - but what ana effort! I do not look forward to battling this grass. - Seeds spread by wind, shoes, local deer, and other animals. This grass will get to my wetlands and although I hate using herbicide, i have little choice!

maui, it looks like grass to me, but its only the first year, maybe as it matures it will form the stalks. i grow several different colocasia, alocasia, and zanthosoma; musa basjoo, blood bananas, eucalyptus. i dig them every fall and start them in the greehouse in march, put them back in the ground in may. i know brian, and been to his place. he does have a huge collection ~~ an 80 ft greenhouse of his own for aroids, then his dad has other tropicals ~~palms, yuccas, agaves, etc., in another greenhouse. then they have the regular nursery, with normal plants for the locals. its quite the place !! i'd love to have all that he has. he is even got some of his own hybrids selling this year at a couple of the national nurseries. i'll take a couple of pictures tomorrow, i can never get them posted here, but i have an online album and you will get an email from shutterfly with the link. susgarden

Hi Axlera, If it is Saccarum ravennae (it was Erianthus before the genus was reclassified!), the most often used common name in zone 5 and colder is "hardy pampas grass." Whether or not you cut it down depends on if you like the look of it with the foliage from the previous year(s) combined with the new foliage, of if you want a "fresh new look" with all new foliage from the current year. I love Saccarum so I got one for my backyard--knowing it was gonna be too big for my very small backyard--but I wanted it anyway! As I tried to pretend wouldn't happen, in a few years it was getting too big, I was constantly cutting off the ends of the grass blades so I could mow the lawn, and, knowing it was just gonna keep getting bigger I decided to dig it up and give it away! Here's a pic the last year I had it for the full year. A little hard to see because it was behind a blackberry lily which has similar foliage! Here are pics of it the day I "dug" it up! The hardest "digging" job I've ever done! It took me 3-4 hours, required a couple shovels, two crowbars, my hand-held sledge hammer, several little trowels, and a collection of the very sharpest knives I own! If you ever decide to dig yours up for any reason, I wish you luck! Sometime while I was digging it up I got two, very obvious, "insect" bites. Two weeks later I found out I had West Nile Virus!!! Ok! Not tryin' to blame that on the Saccarum, but it was Quite The Day! Here are pics of The Digging, and what I'm really posting them for is to show you that this is how far I cut mine down every year, around now. If you wait too long there's more new growth that you'll be cutting off and it'll take a while for it to come back again. I recommend cutting ornamental grasses down as soon as you start seeing the very first of the new growth at the base. I'll also sometimes cut grasses down on a nice day in the middle of winter if they've been too knocked down by snow or winds to provide anything that could be considered Winter Interest anymore! I cut all mine down--just cut my Panicum/switchgrass down about a week ago--because I prefer the way they look with just the new growth each year. If you've been happy with the look with both the old and new growth you might want to just leave them alone. From what I've seen, most people cut them down. You can often find OGs along roads and in/around shopping centers (lots of them in the Thornton area), and if you watch, they're almost always cut down--right around now. Since you have two of them, depending on how close to each other they are, you might want to cut down one of them and leave the other so you can see it both ways to decide what you like best. As with all gardening, there's no "right" answer! It's your garden/yard, so however you want it to look IS the Right Way! Welcome to RMG, Skybird P.S. If you have time, go to the Who's Here in 2014 thread and introduce yourself to all of us! We're glad you found us!