Greyish-blue or greenish-grey blades in tight clumps, with summer flower stems either tall and slender or short and arching: fescue (Festuca sp.) earns its place in garden boxes, along edges and in hard-to-plant dry corners. Give it light, well-draining soil and never water it, and it asks for almost nothing else.
| Botanical name | Festuca sp. |
|---|---|
| Common name | Fescue |
| Family | Poaceae |
| Type | Grass |
| Height | 4 in to 3 feet (4 cm to 1 m), depending on species |
| Planting density | 4 to 10 plants per sq. yard (m²), depending on species |
| Exposure | Full sun to part sun |
| Soil | Light and well-draining, all pH levels |
| Flowering | Usually in summer |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
Nearly all fescue grasses have grayish-blue or greenish-gray leaves. Depending on the species, the summer blooms are either tall and slender, or short with arching stems. Such diversity is there that you can easily create an entire landscaping bed just with plants of this family, and it will still look stunning.
This grass is excellent to decorate hard-to-plant areas. Indeed, it isn’t afraid of drought, and loves poor soil types: sandy and/or limestone.
Heavy soil, which usually have lots of clay, don’t suit it very well because they tend to retain too much water.
For this plant, it’s best to select a spot in full sun, but fescue will still adapt well to part shade.
Planting is best when done in spring or fall:
Fescue care is perhaps the simplest task of all. At the beginning of winter, you can remove wilted flowers, it’ll make the clump look neater. In spring, cut the clump back to renew leaves.
After a few years, if you find the plant has lost its luster, feel free to divide and split the one plant into two or three new ones.
Watering isn’t ever necessary, because Festuca hates having too much water.
Though fescue will easily grow from seed, you’ll get larger plants quicker by dividing the clump.
In a nutshell, just pull the whole clump out of the ground in fall or spring and break it into several smaller clumps to create new plants.
It’s possible to tear them apart by hand, but some gardeners prefer to slice them in half with a sharp spade.
Transplant each portion as described above in the “planting” section.
Fescue is a nearly invulnerable grass. Pests and diseases seem to never get a hold of it!
As is the case for many grasses, Festuca is at its best when planted in a group, either with other grasses, or with short perennials.
It’s very versatile and will match many settings: rocky terrain, alongside flower beds, or between stepping stones.
The species described below differ in leaf colour, size and flowering, so the choice depends on whether you want a low cushion, a prickly texture or a tall arching clump.
| Species | Foliage | Flowers | Why choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue fescue (Festuca glauca) | Greyish-blue | Usually in summer | By far the easiest fescue to find in shops |
| Hedgehog fescue (Festuca punctoria) | Greenish-grey, straight and dense, prickly to the touch | Rather rare, light yellow, in summer | Spiky texture that pricks through skin |
| Spiky or bearskin fescue (Festuca gautieri) | Long, thin green blades, never over 4 in (10 cm) | early summer to midsummer, the colour of hay | Forms a lush, soft cushion; sold also as F. scoparia |
| Giant fescue (Festuca gigantea) | Wider, flatter and shiny; up to 3 feet (1 m) | Middle or end of summer, arching over | Height and presence among smaller species |
Whichever you pick, group several plants together rather than dotting them about singly.
You’ll soon discover that blue fescue (Festuca glauca) is clearly the easiest fescue to get your hands on, but there are a few other species that are worth their while.
It got its name from the straight, dense foliage that can indeed prick through skin. Leaves are greenish-gray. Summer blooms, rather rare, have a beautiful light yellow hue.
This one has long, thin green blades. Bearskin fescue, as it’s also called, is somewhat of an outlier in the family, since most other species are gray-green or blue-green. Note: you might see the former name for this plant in stores: F. scoparia.
It’s size never exceeds 4 inches (10 cm), and it grows to form a lush, soft cushion. Flowers appear in early summer to midsummer, they’re the color of hay.
This species can reach a height of 3 feet (1 meter). Its foliage is wider, flatter than that of smaller species, and it’s shiny, too. Definitely different from the narrow blades of its cousins. Flowers, for this species, appear in the middle or at the end of summer. They’ve got a softer, wider shape and arch over as they grow longer.
