dwarf evergreen grasses

Does anyone know of a good dwarf (1-2.5ft) grass that is evergreen and preferably has some color to it? I like fountain grasses, but most of them are annuals in my area, Zone 8. Any suggestions?

There are lots of them that would be evergreen in your zone, but most are green, blue-green, gray-green.

Look at the various cultivars of these genera:

Luzula
Sesleria
Deschampsia
Festuca

Helictotrichon sempervirens is very blue, and everblue.

Several Carex varieties are evergreen, and are in shades of gold, bronze and brown.

Cultivars of Juncus patens are blue and blue-gray.

You have lots of choices.

Ruby grass - Melinus nerviglumis ‘Pink Crystals’ (Rhynchelytrum nerviglume 'Pink Crystal') - I love this little guy! Evergreen - I don't think so. But beautiful in winter too. Very fine blades.

Shooting Star Lily - Anthericum sanderii. Looks like a grass, although it isn't. Has little white flowers on long stems - almost all the time. Evergreen here.

Dietes (Moraea) bicolor - African Iris. Also not a grass, but with the shape. Evergreen with very pretty flat iris flowers.

Liriope muscari 'Aztec' - Aztec grass, evergreen and variegated

Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’ - Golden Variegated Sweet Flag 10-14” high, very pretty, again, not a true grass, but evergreen (well,actually ever-green and yellow) ;-)
CJ

Several varieties of carex are evergreen: Carex testacea (Orange Sedge), Carex tenuiculmis 'Capuccino', Carex 'Prairie Fire', Carex flagellifera (Copperleaf Sedge), Carex flagellifera 'Red Rooster'

All of the Carex varieities are anywhere from 1-2 feet tall. If you are looking for something even smaller, then Festuca is a good choice. Festuca cinerea 'Elijah Blue' is approximately 12" tall and a powder blue --- very good in mass plantings. Wallis Fescue (Festuca valesciaca 'Glaucantha') is approximately 8" tall and powdery blue. It looks like a smaller version of Elijah Blue. There are other varieties of Festuca that will work well.

I suspect that the fountain grass you are speaking of as an annual is the Rubrum. Most other fountain grasses are perennials in zone 8. I'm in zone 7 and my fountain grasses, with the exception of Rubrum, come back every year.

If you really want to try something different, try a black liriope (mondo grass)! Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' ,according to PlantFiles, is evergreen and even gets bluish black berries. It would be stunning paired with a yellow foliaged plant, such as 'Sweet Kate' tradescantia, or with salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' and blue Laguna lobelia.

Does Carex Red Rooster require an irrigation system or can it survive and thrive with limited rainwater? I'm in Central Texas and I have an irrigation system around the house but not in the backyard where my yuccas, cactus, sage and other xeriscape plants are growing.

'Red Rooster' is a cultivar of Carex buchananii. It likes a moist, well-drained environment. In your zone, you should grow it in partial shade. If you provide enough water until it is well established, it should be able to survive dry conditions, but it is relatively short-lived, even under the best of conditions.

I don't know why I didn't suggest Little Bluestem, it's a wonderful native grass. I have 'Sapphire' and it gets really blue, and then changes to pink in late autumn, and finally to tan all winter. Other cultivars and the straight species are similar, some turning orange before tan. It requires little water once established, as it gets very long roots.