Idaho Fescue, Festuca idahoensis

About Idaho Fescue (Festuca idahoensis) 62 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Idaho Fescue or Blue bunchgrass is native to western North America, where it is widespread and very common. In California it is most often found in the Coast Ranges and foothills of the Sierra (in the Sierra, generally at 4000 ft and above). 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 30 to 80 centimeters in height. The stiff, short, rolling leaves are mostly located near the base of the tuft. The flower cluster has hairy spikelets which 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. Typical native grass associates in the far west coastal prairies are California oatgrass, Tufted Hairgrass and Purple Needlegrass.

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

, 8 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Sandhill Skipper Polites sabuletiPolites sabuleti

Sonora Skipper Polites sonoraPolites sonora

Lindsey's Skipper Hesperia lindseyiHesperia lindseyi

Common Ringlet Coenonympha tulliaCoenonympha tullia

Mardon Skipper Polites mardonPolites mardon

Sierra Skipper Hesperia miriamaeHesperia miriamae

Nevada Skipper Hesperia nevadaHesperia nevada

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Very Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 62

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 sp.), Sisyrinchium bellum, Dudleya caespitosa, Sedum spathulifolium, Achillea millefolium.

Maintenance

You can mow this grass after it flowers, being careful to mow high and only remove 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"

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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

Idaho Fescue

Festuca idahoensis

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Idaho FescueFestuca idahoensis

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Idaho Fescue

Festuca idahoensis