This plant is an ornamental grass that spreads by underground stems (rhizomes). The growth habit is compact, even if it arches over when the stems become too long. It reaches 2 to 4 feet tall and spreads indefinitely. The evergreen leaves are 12 in. long and ½ in. wide, rough, and colored a deep bluish green. Flowering occurs in summer, and flowers are borne in dense spikes, which reach 5 to 7 in. long. Although the foliage is very attractive, the same cannot be said for the flowers. The fruit is non-ornamental, too.