I stumbled on this wonderful plant at my local nursery and couldn't wait to restore it to a prominent spot in my garden. I bought its predecessor in 1997 and over the more than 18 years it spent in my garden, it was always the plant everyone commented on. Luckily, it's a slow grower and for at least 15 years it looked just like a spectacular grass. It also made quite a show when it bloomed at 14 years old. It was only after 15 years that it began to live up to the tree part of its name and gradually lifted its grassy canopy off the ground. I think it was less than 18" off the ground when I reluctantly parted company.

It'll take a few more years before it enters the spectacular category, but it's definitely worth waiting for. Here's what it looks like now after just being planted.