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Blue Fescue (Festuca trachyphylla): Fine-Textured Blue Mounds for Sun

Overview

Blue Fescue (also called Sheep's Fescue or Hard Fescue) is a cool-season, clump-forming perennial grass prized for its dense, porcupine-like mounds of fine, needle-like, intensely blue-gray foliage. It reaches 8-12 inches tall and produces airy, tan flower spikes in early summer.

Taxonomy & Nomenclature

Family:	Poaceae (poh-AY-see-ee)
Genus:	Festuca (fes-TOO-kuh)
Species:	trachyphylla (trak-ee-FIL-uh)

Synonyms: Festuca ovina, Festuca brevipila, Festuca duriuscula, Festuca longifolia, Festuca cinerea.

Cultivation & Uses

Full sun; poor to average, well-drained soil. Drought-tolerant. Dislikes heat and humidity; may decline in hot summers. Shear back after flowering to maintain shape. Use in rock gardens, borders, edging, and containers. Short-lived; divide every 2-3 years to rejuvenate.

Grasses and Bamboo: Propagating Elijah Blue Fescue: Division vs. Seed; Giant Blue Flag Iris (Iris giganticaerulea): Majestic Native Species; Blue Fescue 'Elijah Blue' (Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'); Sheep's Fescue 'Glauca' (Festuca ovina var. glauca): Classic Blue Fescue for Edging; Sheep's Fescue 'Glauca' (Festuca ovina var. glauca): Classic Blue Fescue; New Zealand Fescue (Festuca novae-zelandiae): Tussock Grass for Cool Climates; Blue Chalksticks (Senecio repens syn. Kleinia repens): A Striking Succulent for Containers; Elijah Blue Fescue – Icy Blue Ornamental Grass; Elijah Blue Fescue – Icy Blue Ornamental Grass; Blue Fescue Maintenance: Trim Brown, Avoid Wet Clay

Garden Articles

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Blue Chalk Sticks (Kleinia mandraliscae): A Ground-Hugging Succulent with Vivid Blue-Green Fingers

Blue Agave 'Weber's Blue' (Agave tequilana 'Weber's Blue'): The Tequila Agave Cultivar

Leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides): The Late-Blooming Blue Groundcover

Blue Fescue 'Boulder Blue' (Festuca glauca): Intensely Blue Cascading Mounds

Blue Fescue 'Elijah Blue' (Festuca glauca): Classic Powder-Blue Tufts for Edging

Blue Fescue: The Versatile Grass for Every Garden Style

Plants

Is Fescue a Good Choice for Shady Lawns in Northeast Mississippi?

Blue Columnar Cactus (Pilosocereus pachycladus): A Fast-Growing, Blue-Skinned Columnar for Tropical Landscapes

Blue Star Creeper (Pratia pedunculata): Tiny Leaves, Starry Blue Flowers for Moist Shade

Blechnum penna-marina: Alpine Water Fern

Blue Potato Bush (Lycianthes rantonnetii): The Royal Purple Shrub

Felicia (Felicia amelloides): Blue Daisy for Cool Seasons

Blue Amaryllis (Worsleya procera): Rare Blue Hippeastrum