Festuca rubra

Common Names

Red Fescue, Creeping Red Fescue, Fescue, Chewings Fescue, Richardson's Fescue, Creeping Fescue Grass

Summary

Red fescue is a cool-season grass native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, forming dense turf with very fine, deep green leaves that fold in the bud and a short membranous ligule; it grows in an arching, creeping habit and spreads by rhizomes (with some forms tufted), delivering a meadow-like look when unmowed.

Cultivation favors well-drained soils and a wide range of substrates from clay to sand, with pH tolerance from acidic to neutral; it germinates slowly and requires very low maintenance, being drought tolerant after establishment and suitable for mowing or unmowed meadow-like effects; uses include lawns, golf greens and tees, erosion control, and meadow plantings, and it is commonly used in seed mixes to enhance shade tolerance in turf blends.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

1-3.5 feet

Spread

12-20 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-6

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade, also suitable in full sun and partial sun.

Soil Type

No single ideal; tolerates clay, loam (silt), and sand; well-drained soils.

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soils.

Soil pH

5.5-8.0, slightly acidic to neutral

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Time

Spring–Summer (to early Fall in some regions)

Foliage Color

Green (bright to deep shades, gray-green)

Fall Foliage Color

Deep Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen, Other

Growth Rate

20–80 cm per year

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division, Rhizomes, Stolons

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds, butterflies, and deer, elk, and moose