Northwest Blooms · Groundcovers
Festuca glauca
Blue Fescue
- Family
- Poaceae
- Height
- 6 to 12 inches
- Width
- 12 to 18 inches
- Flower color
- Pale green to blue-tinged
- Foliage color
- Silver-blue to blue-gray
- Bloom time
- Late spring to early summer
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Low; prefers well-drained, dry to medium soil; drought-tolerant once established
- Maintenance
- Low; clumps may require division every 2 to 3 years to maintain vigor
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Wildlife
- Attracts bees
About this plant
Festuca glauca is a perennial grass native to regions including France, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. This ornamental grass is distinguished by its fine-textured, needle-like leaves that form dense, cushion-like tufts. In late spring to early summer, it produces inconspicuous greenish flowers with a purple tinge, borne in terminal panicles above the foliage.
Blue fescue is well-suited for full sun exposure and thrives in dry to medium soil conditions. Its drought tolerance and low maintenance requirements make it a popular choice for ground cover, rock gardens, and border edges.
Works well in
Rock Gardens · Mediterranean Gardens · Borders · Waterwise Gardens
Companion plants
Lavender · Russian sage · Stonecrops · California lilacs · Candytuft · Red hot poker
Design tip
Repeat evenly spaced clumps throughout sunny borders to establish rhythm and reinforce the garden's structural framework. Pair with flowering perennials of contrasting form to highlight the grass's fine texture while maintaining visual interest from spring through winter.
