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Idaho Fescue
Festuca idahoensis
  
About Idaho Fescue (Festuca idahoensis) 63 Nurseries Carry This Plant 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
Plant Type
Grass

Size
Size
1 - 2.6 ft tall
.5 ft wide

Form
Form
Upright, Fountain

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate

Fragrance
Fragrance
None

Flower Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Cream

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Summer

Wildlife Supported
 


Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to -10° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description
Soil Description
Adaptable, tolerant of sand, loam and clay. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Groundcovers, Deer Resistant, Butterfly Gardens

Companion Plants
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 OatGrass, Tufted Hairgrass and Purple Needlegrass.

Maintenance
Maintenance
You may mow this grass after it flowers, being careful to mow high and remove only the flower stalks, not the leaves.

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Sunset Zones
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
Site Type
Dry, open savannahs, clearings in chaparral

Climate
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


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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