Festuca Glauca
A Colorful Blue Fescue Grass
Is this high-maintance grass right for you?
Blue fescue grass (Festuca glauca), with its captivating blue-green foliage, always catches our eye at the garden center. However, it’s important to realize that this seductive beauty can be a relatively high-maintenance plant. Before introducing blue fescue into your garden, take some time to evaluate if you are prepared for the commitment it entails. While the striking appearance of blue fescue is worth the effort for many gardeners, make sure to carefully consider whether or not the cultural needs of this grass align with your gardening style and the environmental conditions of your outdoor space.
What is Blue Fescue?
Blue fescue is a compact, clump-forming ornamental grass native to central and southern Europe. This striking plant is grown for its stunning blue-green color and fine textured foliage. Blue fescue grows in low, tight clumps reaching 12 inches high. Narrow leaf blades gracefully arch from the center of the plant and create a fountain-like effect. In late spring to early summer, inconspicuous blue-tinged flowers rise above the foliage on top of delicate stems.
How to Care for Blue Fescue
Blue fescue thrives in full sun and well-drained soil - avoid planting in waterlogged, poorly draining areas. Although blue fescue exhibits drought tolerance, it benefits from supplemental watering to aid in its establishment and will require occasional irrigation during extended periods of dry weather.
In late winter to early spring, trim blue fescue back to 3-4 inches above ground. This annual pruning will remove brown foliage and encourage fresh growth. Blue fescue is a very short-lived plant and requires frequent division every 2-3 years to rejuvenate. Divide each plant in the springtime by digging up and cutting out the center, which tends to turn brown and die. Cut the living pieces into 2 or 3 smaller tufts and replant, making sure to water thoroughly until established.
Why is my Blue Fescue Grass Turning Brown?
Blue fescue looks best in spring and fall.
Blue fescue is a cool-season grass and looks best during spring and fall, when temperatures are moderate. When the heat of summer arrives, especially zones 8 and above, the grass will enter a state of dormancy by trying to conserve energy and moisture, resulting in brown foliage. Trim the brown foliage back and wait for the plants to regenerate when cooler fall temperatures arrive. Some plants may not make it through very hot summers, and will require replacing.
When severe winter weather and freezing temperatures arrive, blue fescue can become semi-dormant again, with slower growth and a reduction in color intensity. However, it's important to note that this winter browning is typically a temporary condition, and blue fescue often rebounds to its full glory as temperatures begin to warm in the spring. Plants can be trimmed back in late winter or early spring, and fresh growth will start again.
Is Blue Fescue Grass Deer-resistant?
Blue fescue is considered deer-resistant, and is rated as “rarely damaged” by Rutgers University on their list of Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance. No plant is completely deer-resistant, but if you are gardening in an area with heavy deer pressure, blue fescue tends to be left alone.
Is Blue Fescue Grass Evergreen?
Blue fescue is considered semi-evergreen, turning a muted gray-green in mild winter climates and turning brown when temperatures plummet. Leave dead foliage intact during winter, to help protect the plants, and shear back to 3-4 inches in late spring to early summer, to make way for new spring growth.
Types of Blue Fescue Grass (Festuca glauca)
‘Elijah Blue’ is by far the most popular and widely available cultivar. With icy blue foliage growing 8-12 inches tall, this cultivar has excellent heat tolerance.
Beyond Blue™ ‘Casca 11’ resists browning and retains a powdery-blue color throughout the summer. Grows to 12 inches high and 18 inches wide.
‘Blue Whiskers’ is bright blue, tall, and a vigorous grower up to 12 inches high and 24 inches wide.
‘Boulder Blue’ has steel-blue foliage, wheat-colored flower spikes, and grows to 18 inches tall.
‘Golden Toupee’ has bright chartreuse colored foliage, growing 12 inches high and 18 inches wide.
‘Cool as Ice’ is soft blue and reaches 8-12 inches in height.
Sea Urchin™ ‘Seeigel’ forms a low, bristly mat and grows a compact 8 inches tall. Makes a great edging plant.
Landscaping Ideas for Blue Fescue Grass
Blue fescue works well as a ground cover or planted in mass, where its soft texture and blue color can be fully appreciated.
Soft blue foliage provides definition and contrast when used in the front of the border or as an edging plant.
Blue fescue loves well draining soil and works well in a rock garden.
This grass plays nicely with other silvery-blue-purple colors in the garden, such as Helen Von Stein lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina ‘Helen von Stein’) and Neptune catmint (Nepeta kubanica ‘Bokratune’).
Blue fescue looks great planted in front of taller perennials like purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Richard Nelson yarrow (Achillea ‘Richard Nelson’), and Autumn Joy stonecrop (Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’).
Provides a nice textural or color contrast within a container. Makes a great filler or spiller.
Alternatives to Blue Fescue Grass
The high-maintenance nature of blue fescue means it is not the best choice for everyone. If you don’t have the time or environment for this grass, consider planting one of these alternatives:
Blue wood sedge (Carex flaccosperma) is a small, clump forming sedge native to the eastern and central United States. It has blue-green leaves and grows 6-12 inches tall in partial sun to shade.
Firewitch dianthus (Dianthus gratianapolitanus ‘Feuerhexe’) is a low-growing perennial covered with masses of small pink blooms in springtime. Individual plants will grow together to form a dense, 8-inch tall, semi-evergreen mat with blue-green foliage. Prefers full sun.
Moonbeam coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’) is a low-growing perennial for full sun with lacy green foliage and pale, lemon yellow flowers from late spring through summer.
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) underplanted with blue fescue (Festuca glauca).