IMPERATA cylindrica rubra. Japanese blood grass. An elegant grass, forming many-stemmed colonies from slender, creeping rhizomes. The 1-2’ stems are erect, and the narrow leaves essentially so, though they arch gracefully. Emerging bright apple-green, the leaves quickly adopt dark red shading, giving them a strongly bicolored effect. The reds are intensified in fall, when the whole plant seems to glow. A fine grass for poolside plantings, borders and containers. Semi-evergreen in mild climates, winter deciduous in most areas. Sun or light shade, most soils, regular watering. Probably hardy to 10^oF or less.