Pampas grass is one of the most beautiful and imposing grasses of the plains of South America. Giant clumps of grass produce flower spikes that can reach 12 feet in height. Ivory Feathers® pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana 'Pumila') is a dwarf selection that will produce clumps 5 feet tall, with feathery ivory flower spikes to 8 feet tall. It is not winter hardy in the Chicago area.

In warmer climates such as California, Hawaii, and New Zealand, it has proven to be an aggressive weed, with each clump of grass capable of producing more than one million seeds.