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Idaho Fescue
( Festuca idahoensis )
Festuca idahoensis
More Photos at CalPhotos
More Info at Jepson eFlora
Calflora
Click on blue squares to see occurrence records.
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65 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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About Idaho Fescue (Festuca idahoensis)
65 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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Idaho Fescue (
Festuca idahoensis
) is native to western North America, where it is widespread and very common. In California, it is most often found in the Sierra foothills (generally at and above 4000 feet) and the Coast Ranges. It can be found in many ecosystems, from shady forests to open plains grasslands.
This fescue is a densely-clumping, long-lived perennial grass with stems from about 12 to 32 inches in height. Its stiff, short, rolling leaves are mostly located near the base of the tuft. The flower cluster has hairy spikelets that produce large, awned fruits.
The root system is thick and penetrates deeply into the soil. The roots have symbiotic mycorrhizae. This is a nutritious and preferred forage grass for wild and domestic animals.
Idaho Fescue can add welcome color and texture contrast in the landscape.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Grass
Size
1 - 2.6 ft tall
.5 ft wide
Form
Upright, Fountain
Growth Rate
Moderate
Fragrance
None
Flower Color
Yellow, Cream
Flowering Season
Summer
Wildlife Supported
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 3
confirmed
, 7
likely
* )
SHOW ALL
Sandhill Skipper
Polites sabuleti
Polites sabuleti
Sonora Skipper
Polites sonora
Polites sonora
Lindsey's Skipper
Hesperia lindseyi
Hesperia lindseyi
*
Common Ringlet
Coenonympha tullia
Coenonympha tullia
*
Mardon Skipper
Polites mardon
Polites mardon
*
Sierra Skipper
Hesperia miriamae
Hesperia miriamae
*
Nevada Skipper
Hesperia nevada
Hesperia nevada
Landscaping Information
Sun
Full Sun
Moisture
Very Low
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established
Nurseries
Carried by 65
Ease of Care
Very Easy
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to -10° F
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow
Soil Description
Adaptable, tolerant of sand, loam and clay. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0
Common uses
Groundcovers, Deer Resistant, Butterfly Gardens
Companion Plants
Use with geophytes such as
Mariposa Lily
(Calochortus spp.),
Sisyrinchium bellum
,
Dudleya caespitosa
,
Sedum spathulifolium
,
Achillea millefolium
. Typical native-grass associates in the far west coastal prairies are California Oat
Grass, Tufted Hair
grass and Purple
Needlegrass
.
Maintenance
You may mow this grass after it flowers, being careful to mow high and remove only the flower stalks, not the leaves.
Propagation
?
For propagating by seed: No treatment.
Sunset Zones
?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6*, 7*, 8, 9, 10, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*
Natural Setting
Site Type
Dry, open savannahs, clearings in chaparral
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 10.7" - 143.7", Summer Precipitation: 0.21" - 5.56", Coldest Month: 21.4" - 51.5", Hottest Month: 43.0" - 75.0", Humidity: 0.31" - 22.24", Elevation: 15" - 11698"
Alternative Names
Common Names
: Blue Bunchgrass
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Idaho Fescue
Festuca idahoensis
Sources include:
Wikipedia
. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the
California Consortia of Herbaria
, Sunset information provided by
Jepson Flora Project
. Propogation from seed information provided by the
Santa Barbara Botanical Garden
from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include
CalPhotos
,
Wikimedia Commons
, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include
Calflora
,
CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online
,
Jepson Flora Project
,
Las Pilitas
,
Theodore Payne
,
Tree of Life
,
The Xerces Society
, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from
PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.
Links:
Jepson eFlora Taxon Page
CalPhotos
Wikipedia
Calflora
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