Yes, the plant does not play fair in a mixed border. It needs SPACE, its own space.

I appreciate your responses, texasranger2 and wantonamara. My grass looks like 'Canyon Prince' but I'm a bit confused about its zone since the person who gave it to me lives in northern Connecticut and has had it through many tough winters.

You both gave warnings about its needing space and selecting a spot carefully. We live on 1/3 of an acre .... an invasive plant could take over the yard! So I'll have to think about this one.

Molie

molie, its not invasive but it is robust underground. The clump can get very large but it won't take over your 1/3 acre by seeding or anything like that. Some people contain the size by burying a large plastic pot, the kinds nursery's sell trees in. You cut out the bottom, bury it and plant the grass inside, leave a lip sticking out of the soil. Any rhizomes that might escape can be dug out. Its the underground rhizomes that make it aggressive, not seeds. It can look quite lovely in the right spot, I've seen it used massed in medians downtown here surrounded by a concrete curb very effectively. It looks really nice that way. I saw an entire sloping bank planted in it in Stillwater OK, it was gorgeous.

Its commonly used on sand dunes to prevent erosion.

Or a kids swimming pool is a good barrier. It is a thug, not the devil incarnate. It also needs you to ask yourself how attentive a weeder are you. It looks like you have a good area so there is room in your garden but maybe not where you want it.

Thanks again to both of you.

Texasranger2: Yes, I have seen photos of it used on sand dunes and can imagine that the steel blue blades are striking against sand or even concrete. Maybe that's what I need .... a little concrete! (lol) I'll think about a good location and planting inside a large plastic pot... in fact, we have two from large junipers that we just planted in a patio area.

Wantonamara, I have several thugs in the gardens ... plants I brought home even though I knew they spread like crazy. I'm always pulling out Nepeta, Russian Sage and Oenothera siskiyou. But the "King of Thugs" for me is Verbena bonariensis, which I find everywhere.... this morning I pulled one out of a pot growing on my deck. As for my weeding tendencies ... I can't walk by the gardens without pulling some weeds. I do weed pretty regularly.

Molie