Thanks, OldGardener. I edited my initial comment to reflect your research.
I haven't had any experience with hot summers since I moved from New England (CT, NJ & NY) to coastal WA.
I originally chose F. rufa because I wanted to grow bamboo poles and hoops around 1/2" diameter. After four years, mine is still closer to a thick, stiff grass than a bamboo skewer, let alone a chopstick or 1/2" hoop! I probably should have started with F. robusta or something even thicker.
