Plant Profile

Festuca arundinacea (Tall fescue)

Tall fescue is a cool-season grass, well adapted to sunny or partially shady areas. When densely sown, a pure stand forms a moderate to coarse-textured lawn. it tolerates warm summer temperatures and stays green during cool, but not severe winter conditions . It has a bunch-type growth habit . Low maintenance. Tall fescue has excellent tolerance for heat stress and drought. It will tolerate moderate traffic and infrequent mowing

  • Landscape Information
  • Botanical Description
  • Horticulture Management
  • Forest & Kim Starr [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Forest & Kim Starr [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Search plant on Google

Download as PDF

  • French Name: fétuque faux roseau

    Pronunciation: fes-TOO-kuh a-run-din-uh-KEE-uh

  • Plant type: Lawn

  • Origin: Europe

  • Heat Zones: 1 to 8

    Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8

  • Uses: Sports Field, Pollution Tolerant / Urban

  • Size/Shape

    Growth Rate: Slow

    Tree Shape: Spreading

    Height at Maturity: Less than 0.5 m

    Spread at Maturity: Less than 50 cm

    Time to Ultimate Height: 1 Year

  • Notes

    Tall fescue is one of the most drought, heat and wear tolerant species. Due to its large and deep root system, it is able to take up water in dry periods when other grasses have stopped their growth. It stays green in dry summer periods and tolerates high temperatures. The leaf texture is rather coarse compared to other turf grasses, but new varieties have narrower leaves and density. The leaf color of tall fescue is normally dark green. Winterhardiness varied depending on the type. Mediterranean types are less winterhardy, but continental types have good winterhardiness. Tall fescue establishes quickly, but not quite as fast as perennial ryegrass. The disease tolerance is very high.

  • Forest & Kim Starr [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Forest & Kim Starr [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Search plant on Google

Download as PDF
  • Forest & Kim Starr [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Forest & Kim Starr [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Search plant on Google

Download as PDF