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Creeping Red Fescue Festuca rubra

Other Common Name(s):

Previously known as:

  • Festuca arundinacea
  • Lolium arundinaceum
Phonetic Spelling
fes-TOO-kuh ROO-bruh
Description

Red Fescue is a cool-season bunching grass that goes dormant in the summer.  It is found all over the world in meadows, dunes, and open woodlands and is tolerant of many climates.  It is used by both wild and domestic animals for forage.  It can be used as a turfgrass if it is mowed or left natural for a meadow look.  It has an arching upright fountain habit and spreads quickly by creeping rhizomes.  It is resistant to browsing by deer.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#wildlife plant#moths#fast growing#deer resistant#foot traffic tolerant#butterfly friendly#turfgrass#meadows#lawn planting
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#wildlife plant#moths#fast growing#deer resistant#foot traffic tolerant#butterfly friendly#turfgrass#meadows#lawn planting
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Festuca
    Species:
    rubra
    Family:
    Poaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Northern Hemisphere to Mexico
    Wildlife Value:
    Supports moths and butterflies.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
    Turfgrass
    Habit/Form:
    Arching
    Creeping
    Erect
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    High
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    High Organic Matter
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Occasionally Dry
    Very Dry
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Type:
    Caryopsis
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Panicle
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
  • Leaves:
    Hairs Present:
    No
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Lawn
    Meadow
    Landscape Theme:
    Butterfly Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Attracts:
    Butterflies
    Moths
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Dry Soil
    Foot Traffic