If fountain grass isn't exotic enough for you, try one of the purple-stemmed varieties of sugarcane, such as Saccharum officinarum 'Pele's Smoke'. In their semi-dormant state, the grasses will survive. Just don't let the soil in the pots dry completely. The crushed leaves of this subtropical native of India and Sri Lanka are strongly lemon scented. Lemongrass is cold hardy only through USDA Hardiness Zone 9, yet it makes an attractive pot plant in the sunny summer garden.
Purchase starts each spring, or overwinter potted plants in a greenhouse or sunporch.
Arizona native Muhlenbergia dumosa is called bamboo muhly for its bamboolike stems and fine-textured foliage. Though not winter hardy in the ground beyond zone 8, it thrives in a container, luxuriating in the summer sun and adding a unique look to the garden. In warmer climates such as those of California and Texas, I've seen it growing with desert plants like cactus and agave. The imaginative container gardener can recreate these striking textural combinations anywhere in the country. Karl Foerster', which suffer some in the summer heat of zone 9.