Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' is very tender and I doubt you'll see it return; also, it is supposed to be a sterile cultivar (the seeds are not viable). You could try wintering it over in a cold room, perhaps, though.

I think there's a very good chance that all the species in the seed mix will be hardy there. All are native prairie grasses, if I'm not mistaken, with the exception of the purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea or Petalostemon purpureum)which is a very attractive native flowering perennial. (It's not a "clover" per se, by the way - that's just a common name. It is a legume though.)

Many of the grasses are very worthy garden species - ornamental and clumping, that is, not invasive. Off hand, I would check though about a couple of them to make sure they are also clumping before I putting them in a border, i.e. the gramas, needle and thread, and western wheatgrass?

I think it would be clear which are the grass seeds and which are the purple prairie clover seeds - if you wanted to try to separate them - though it sounds like an incredibly painstaking exercise! Maybe some of the grass experts here could distinguish the grass seeds too?

At any rate, after germination, the purple prairie clover would be very easily distinguished -looks like a little feathery tuft coming up.
Once the grasses grew to some size, they could also be distinguished, particularly after blooming... (With young grasses, I doubt I'd have a clue before they bloomed.)

IÂve tried 3 times trying to overwinter Pennisetum setaceum ÂRubrum Grass indoors or in the pumphouse with no success and yes the seeds are sterile... too bad itÂs indeed a lovely ornamental grass and I surely canÂt afford to buy them every year at the prices they want for them.

For your mix another suggestion you can do is wintersow them, when they sprout you can transplant them into individual pots, which may help with transplanting and identification later on.

For sure you will distinguish the purple prairie clover from the grasses, they will also benefit with wintersowing (stratification).

Sharon

Sharon, Thank you very much for sharing your experience trying to overwinter the Purple Fountain Grass. I guess I'll put my effort into saving plants with a better possibility for success. But I agree, it's too expensive to replace every year.

Thanks Lori and Sharon for the suggestions for my seed mix. It's good to know that the grasses are desirable types. I was considering trying some in wintersowing containers, but was imagining a container of blades of grass all looking the same. If I transplant them later, do I pot them up singly? If I were to sow some directly into the garden, when should I do that?

Yes, thats what I would do, when they germinate, pot them up individually, I know the grasses will be very difficult to identify at first, but later in the season, or the following year some of the grass gurus should be able to tell ;)

If they need a cold treatment you'll need to sow them anytime now, but you take that chance of birds eating the seeds. I'd either wait till just before a good snow fall or wintersow around Feb/Mar.

Sharon

Thank you. I'm going to try it. Hopefully I'll end up with something that I like. I haven't tried many grasses due to zonal issues, but the pictures on this forum have piqued my interest. I do have a couple of blue fescue clumps.