This grass is grown for its ease of care and colorful foliage. It grows to 2 to 4 feet tall and under 2 feet wide. Its leaves are bluish-green throughout the growing season before turning red in the fall. Its blooms are held above the leaves and are purple or bronze before developing cottony seeds that can last into the winter.

Like all grasses, this variety should be cut back to just above the ground before spring growth emerges. It prefers full sun and tolerates heat. It will grow in a wide variety of soils. This grass works best as a foundation plant, in meadow gardens, and in masses for formal landscapes.