Festuca glauca Beyond Blue (Blue Fescue)
Festuca glauca ‘Beyond Blue’ (Blue Fescue) is a compact, mound-forming, semi-evergreen ornamental grass mostly grown for its intense powder blue foliage that will catch your eye. Unlike most Blue Fescues, Beyond Blue retains its blue color over the summer.
Festuca glauca 'Beyond Blue' (Blue Fescue) is a compact, mound-forming, semi-evergreen ornamental grass mostly grown for its intense powder blue foliage that will catch your eye. Unlike most Blue Fescues, Beyond Blue retains its blue color over the summer. Densely tufted, the foliage of finely-textured, blade-like needles forms a neat mound topped by upright flower plumes in summer. At first, the flowers are colored like the foliage before maturing to light tan. Stunning when massed as a ground cover, Blue Fescue adds a superb color accent to the landscape all year around in mild winter areas. Aside from its foliage interest, Blue Fescue tolerates cold, heat, humidity, low water, poor soils and is deer resistant.
- Grows up to 9-12 in. tall (22-30 cm) and 18 in. wide (45 cm).
- Performs best in full sun in poor, moderately fertile, well-drained soils. Part shade is appreciated in hot summer climates. Provide good air circulation in humid areas.
- A great candidate for borders, edging, in mass planting as a ground cover, rock gardens, cottage gardens, city gardens or containers.
- This plant often looks best if the flowers are sheared off.
- Short-lived, Blue Fescue tends to die out in the center after 2-4 years. Shearing your plant in late winter often contributes to extend its life and promotes a neater appearance.
- Propagate by division in spring
Requirements
Hardiness | 4 – 10 |
---|---|
Heat Zones | 1 – 8 |
Climate Zones | 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
Plant Type | Ornamental Grasses |
Plant Family | Festuca – Fescues |
Exposure | Full Sun |
Season of Interest | Spring (Early,Mid,Late)Summer (Early,Mid,Late)FallWinter |
Height | 9" – 1' (22cm – 30cm) |
Spread | 1' – 2' (30cm – 60cm) |
Spacing | 18″ (45cm) |
Water Needs | Low |
Maintenance | Low |
Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Showy, Semi-Evergreen |
Tolerance | Deer, Drought, Dry Soil, Rocky Soil |
Garden Uses | Banks and Slopes, Beds and Borders, Ground Covers, Patio and Containers |
Garden Styles | City and Courtyard, Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage, Mediterranean Garden |