Handsome flower plumes. Position: full sun Soil: fertile, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: August Hardiness: fully hardy Silky, silvery-yellow flower plumes in late summer above large mounds of sharp-edged, mid-green leaves. 'Pumila' is a particularly compact and free-flowering variety of this much-maligned ornamental grass. We've chosen it as one of our recommended plants since it makes an excellent all-year focal-point for the smaller garden. Garden care: Protect the crowns of young plants during the first winter with a deep, dry mulch. Each year in late-winter or early-spring wearing stout gardening gloves remove the previous year's stems by cutting and combing. Make sure you do wear stout gardening gloves when you are working with these plants as the leaves have sharp margins which can cut your hands.