At Sierra Azul we grow perennial species. Grasses can be deciduous or evergreen and there are advantages to the gardener in either strategy. The spiky, blue gray Helictotrichon sempervirens and the low, arching Calamagrostis foliosa look good all year. Periodic 'combing' with your fingers can often remove the old and dead blades that accumulate in the clumps over time. This practice is not necessary with all cultivars, and is not recommended for those cultivars whose leaves have sharp edges.
Deciduous grasses can bring valuable fall color to the garden.
Miscanthus cultivars, with the exception of Miscanthus transmorrisonensis , are deciduous, but their upright columnar or somewhat arching form makes them prized additions to the garden. Variegatus' is a column of green and white and grows to 6' in a season. Morning Light' are cream and gray, and make a tight misty gray column. These cultivars are topped with tasselly plumes in late summer. It is very important to cut Miscanthus clumps down in February so that the new blades can make an easy and neat appearance.