Tall Fescue
Festuca arundinacea (syn. Schedonorus arundinaceus) · Cool-season, Perennial, C3 grass; highly adaptable to the transition zone
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Pooideae, tribe Poeae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass, Sports Turf, Erosion Control, and Pasture
Variety / Cultivar
Turf-Type Tall Fescue (TTTF) cultivar; indeterminate due to visual field conditions but displays improved density and finer blade compared to 'Kentucky 31'
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 4-7 (best adapted to transition zone); high heat tolerance for a C3 grass; good cold hardiness; semi-dormant in extreme cold or extreme drought.
About This Grass
A robust, deep-rooted cool-season grass with a medium-coarse texture. It maintains a dark green color during spring and fall, often staying green longer into summer than other cool-season grasses. It forms dense clumps that can look like a uniform sod when seeded heavily.
Blade Characteristics
Blade width: 3-5mm (medium-coarse); flat shape; pointed tip; dark green color; rolled vernation in the bud; prominent veins on the upper surface with a rough margin; ligule is short and membranous; auricles are absent or very کوچک (rudimentary) and hairless.
Root System
Deep fibrous root system, often reaching 2-3 feet deep, providing superior drought tolerance; low thatch-forming tendency; moderate establishment speed; fair wear recovery via tillering only.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe and North Africa; now widely naturalized throughout North America, particularly the US Transition Zone
Growth Habit
Bunch-type (clump-forming); spreads primarily through tillering; newer cultivars may have very short rhizomes but lack a true spreading mat habit
Sunlight & Water Needs
Prefers full sun but has good shade tolerance compared to other cool-season grasses; needs 4-6 hours of sun; moderate water needs but possesses high drought avoidance due to root depth; soil pH 5.5-7.5.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal height: 3.0-4.0 inches; frequency: weekly during peak growth; fertilization: 2-4 lbs N/1000 sq ft/year; requires occasional overseeding to fill in thinned bunching areas; medium maintenance level.
Special Characteristics
Excellent wear/traffic tolerance; high resistance to heat and drought; moderate disease resistance (susceptible to Brown Patch in high humidity); good salt tolerance; does not produce significant thatch.
Ecological Information
Introduced species; high soil stabilization value for slopes; provides cover for small mammals; often contains beneficial endophytes that repel insects and improve stress tolerance; commonly blended with Kentucky Bluegrass.