Forget a typical turf grass when you hear someone mention Festuca grass. Festuca grass is an ornamental grass that grows in a clean, rounded clump, looking a great deal like a sea urchin covered in long spines made of blue-green grass.
I purchased three “Elijah Blue” Festuca grasses for a bit of blue/green contrast in my garden. They have thrived in spite of poor soil preparation on my part, and maintain a clean rounded shape without spreading in an unsightly manner. The blue cast and long, slender, porcupine like stems are attractive, also providing a different visual texture in my garden.
An internet search on “Festuca Grass” will result in a long list of selections to review, many with photos of Festuca grass in differing stages of growth.
Festuca grass makes a wonderful ground cover if planted in groups. The clean, round shape also makes it perfect for lining paths. Festuca grass also does well in coastal and other sandy areas, making it perfect for seaside gardens.
Festuca attains a deeper color when given full sun, though it can tolerate partial shade. It is drought tolerant and will do well in poor (low nutrient), sandy, well drained soil. It prefers frequent watering when in a well drained sandy soil; will do poorly in heavy, wet soil or constant high humidity. I live in Michigan where the summers can be humid upon occasion, and the soil isn’t particularly sandy, but so far my Festuca grass clumps aren’t complaining. They are a perennial, and this is their second year.
If your garden soil is too heavy and moist, add sand or perlite to lighten it. Do not use peat moss as it causes the soil to be too acidic. Festuca grass prefers soil that is slightly alkaline.
If your Festuca grass has developed a lot of dead leaves, prune the clump to about 40mm in the winter. During summer months you can snip individual dead leaves free of the clump, close to the base.
As a clumping grass, you may need to divide clumps every two to three years, and should be done in the spring. The division process is quite simple when gardening. Loosen the soil around the clump of Festuca grass and lift the entire clump free. Now pull away pieces of the plant or cut pieces away with shears. Each piece now represents a new clump of Festuca grass, and should be planted in their new locations with the same care as plants brought home from the nursery.
Why divide Festuca grass clumps? After a couple of years the center of the Festuca clump may start to die off. Dividing Festuca grass clumps removes dead zones.
Whether your need is for your garden, lining walkways, or in the landscaping around your yard, Festuca Grass is a pleasant addition to your gardening efforts.
Sources:
Gardenguides.com/How to care for Blue Festuca Grass
About-garden.com/Festuca
Wikipedia.org/wiki/Festuca
