Tall Fescue with Crabgrass and Bermudagrass infestation
Festuca arundinacea (syn. Schedonorus arundinaceus) · Cool-season, Perennial, C3 grass (with warm-season C4 weeds present)
Grass Family
Poaceae, Subfamily Pooideae, Tribe Poeae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass showing heat stress and weed encroachment
Variety / Cultivar
Turf-Type Tall Fescue (TTTF) blend
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 4-7; excellent heat tolerance for a cool-season grass; remains green through mild winters; prone to brown patch in high humidity.
About This Grass
A coarse to medium-textured turf grass that forming dense clumps. Currently showing significant summer dormancy or heat stress (brown/tan thinning areas) with lighter green, wide-bladed Crabgrass invading the gaps.
Blade Characteristics
Wide blades (4-10mm) with prominent equidistant longitudinal veins/ridges on the upper surface; margins are rough/serrated; leaf tips are sharply pointed; vernation is rolled in the bud; auricles are absent or small/hairs only.
Root System
Deep fibrous root system (often 2-3 feet deep), facilitating superior drought tolerance compared to other cool-season grasses; slow to recover from thinning due to lack of aggressive stolons.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Europe and North Africa; widely naturalized in North America Transition Zone
Growth Habit
Bunch-type (clump forming) with limited rhizomatous activity in newer cultivars
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun to partial shade; requires 4-6 hours of sun; high water needs during summer peak to stay green, though it will survive drought by entering dormancy.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal height 3.0-4.0 inches; high frequency during spring/fall; 2-4 lbs N/1000 sq ft annually; requires regular overseeding to maintain density due to bunch-type habit; Medium maintenance.
Special Characteristics
Excellent wear tolerance; shade tolerant; drought resilient; poor self-repairing capability (requires seeding of bare spots); susceptible to Brown Patch (Rhizoctonia).
Ecological Information
Introduced species; provides soil stabilization; low wildlife value in mowed turf; can be invasive in native meadow environments; often blended with Kentucky Bluegrass.