The Festuca story  

Contact:
Leslie Weston
law20@cornell.edu
Department of Horticulture

Fine Leaf Fescues

• Fine leaf fescues are among the most common turfgrass species currently used in the Northeastern and Northcentral U.S. and Europe for lawns and turf, especially in shaded areas or those with poor soils.
  
  
• Fine leaf fescues include...

  	Slender & strong creeping red (F. rubra L.ssp. rubra and F. rubra L. ssp. trichophylla Gaud. or ssp. littoralis [Meyer] Auquiz) * Photo used with permission from University of California Statewide IPM Program, Photographer: J. K. Clark
  Chewing's fescues (F. rubra L. ssp. commutata Gaud.) * Photo: Stock Seed Farms
  	Hard fescues (F. longifolia Thuill.) * Photo used with permission from University of California Statewide IPM Program, Photographer: J. K. Clark
  Sheep's fescues (F. ovina L.) * Photo: www.aphotoflora.com

Physical Appearance:

Fine fescues are relatively fine-leaved, moderately green grasses which require limited mowing due to their low-growing growth habit. 

Cultivation / growth habits:

The fine leaf fescues prefer to be established in well-drained soils. They prefer a non-alkaline soil, or lower soil pH.

Tolerates both full sun and shaded conditions. In heat and drought conditions of late summer, the fine fescues often go dormant and turn brown.

In general, they require only limited fertilization and irrigation.

The root systems tend to be shallow.

Pests and Diseases:

Susceptible to several diseases which may be enhanced by exposure to excessive irrigation and fertilization.

Fine leaf fescues are susceptible to red thread and dollar spot.

Uses:

Fine leaf fescues are commonly used not only as turfgrasses but also for forage, turf or conservation purposes.

Several newer cultivars which have performed well in both landscape and roadside settings across New York include Chewings fescue cultivars Intrigue, Wilma and Sandpiper, and Hard fescue cultivars Oxford, Rescue 911 and Reliant II. These cultivars tend to establish quickly in late spring after fall planting, form a dense and aesthetically pleasing turf, and suppress weeds effectively (greater than 90% overall suppression) once established in comparison to some of the poor cultivars evaluated which included Boreal, Atilla, Jasper and others.