Ornamental Grass: Blue Fescue

Description

• Blue fescue is a small grass, with only a 6- to 12-inch mature height depending on variety, climate and cultural factors, and a similarly small spread. Blue fescue is a clump-forming grass. The more sun a specimen receives, the deeper blue its thin leaves will become. Blue fescue is an evergreen, maintaining its color through winter. The flower on this grass is not particularly showing. Many landscapers opt to remove any flowers that appear.

Culture

• Blue fescue is generally hardy as far north as U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 4. This relatively low-maintenance plant requires full or partial sun to thrive, and prefers well-drained soils. If a soil is poorly-drained, amend it with organic matter. Blue fescue is fairly drought-resistant, so it requires minimal, if any, supplemental irrigation but may suffer dieback under conditions of extreme heat or poor drainage.

Uses

• Blue fescue can be used for edging or borders, as a ground cover, in a rock garden, grass garden or naturalized area. Additionally, blue fescue is salt-tolerant, so it may be suitable for areas where it may be subjected to road de-icing salts like parking lot islands or adjacent to salted sidewalks. Blue fescue works well in combination with many other plants. The narrow, uniquely-colored foliage provides attractive contrasts with bold textures and bright flower colors of other plants.

Care Requirements

• Water new plants about once per week during the first growing season. Do not attempt to force growth during periods of hot, dry weather with fertilizer or water. Growers can either allow seed heads to ripen and stand, or can remove flowers as they appear, to maintain a preferred shade of blue. Either trim back dead growth in late winter or let the new growth cover the previous year's leaves. Divide clumps of blue fescue every few years in spring, to increase the plant's vigor.