The species name glauca is derived from the Greek word glaucous meaning ‘blue grey’ in reference to the colour of the leaves. A truly versatile perennial grass, blue fescue has an eye-catching blue hue that lasts all year. The genus Festuca represents a major evolutionary line of the tribe Poeae.The ancient group has produced various segregates that possess more advanced characteristics than Festuca, including racemose inflorescences and more annual habits.. In the summer, small yellow-green inflorescences rise up, but are not significant. Soft powdery blue, spiky foliage that keeps its color all year round makes this grass a top pick. Maintains its color throughout the growing season and can remain evergreen or semi-evergreen. Easy to care for, it doesn’t require any pruning and it gives us a beautiful hue for an ornamental flower bed. With its clump-forming habit, blue fescue forms uniform balls of foliage topped with feathery straw bloom stalks in the summer. Festuca Beyond Blue grows in a neat mound of bright-blue foliage. Nomenclature: Festuca is derived from the Latin festuca meaning ’stalk or straw’. Origin: Native to Europe, it was originally described by French naturalist Dominique Villars. Native to western North America and ranging from Southern California up to […] Soft powdery blue, spiky foliage that keeps its color all year round makes this grass a top pick. A great ground cover and outstanding in containers. Festuca translates as "grass stalk". Gardeners like its ease of care and its fine texture, which makes it a good companion plant for … Growing 1’ tall by 1’ wide, its fine leaves form compact, silver-blue sprays. Name – Festuca glauca Family – Poaceae Type – perennial, grass Height – 12 to 20 inches (30 to 50 cm) Exposure – full sun Soil – ordinary Foliage – evergreen Flowering – June to July. Blue fescue is a cute little grass. It can be used as an accent plant, in mass plantings, containers, and crevices. One of the more durable and longer-lived varieties, 'Elijah Blue' is a small, clumping grass with a rounded habit. This perennial is a clump-forming ornamental grass that houses light green to purple flowers in summer; however this plant is sought after for its foliage as the flowers are insignificant in comparison. Known for its striking color, Festuca ovina glauca, or Blue Fescue, is a small, cool season clumping grass. In early summer, wheat-like seed heads are produced on tall, spikey stalks in great numbers. Taxonomy. Blue fescue (Festuca ovina glauca), also commonly called sheep fescue and sometimes mistakenly classified as F. cinerea, is a small semi-evergreen grass native to Europe.Grown as an ornamental for its attractive foliage color, it is hardy in zones 4-8. Withstands poor soil but needs good drainage; it is said to be heat, humidity, and drought tolerant. The word "festuca" is a Latin word meaning "stem" or "stalk" first used by Pliny the Elder to describe a weed. Festuca glauca 'Azurit' (Azure Blue Fescue) - A low growing evergreen clumping grass that grows to 12 inches tall with fine-textured blue-silver foliage. Festuca ovina glauca 'Elijah Blue' - silvery and sky-blue new foliage in Spring, persisting with faded blue-green foliage into Autumn; several selections of this cultivar are in the nursery trade, sold under the same name but differing in the intensity and persistence of the blue foliage NOTES. Blue fescue is also very drought tolerant, making it a great choice for rock gardens. Fescues are cool season grasses so they look their best in spring and fall. Plant in moist, well-draining soil and full sun (coastal); should be protected from very hot, direct summer sun inland as it may burn. In early summer, wheat-like seed heads are produced on tall, spikey stalks in great numbers. 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