Tall Fescue
Festuca arundinacea (syn. Schedonorus arundinaceus) · Cool-season, Perennial, C3 landscape grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Pooideae, tribe Poeae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass, Sports Turf, and Erosion Control
Variety / Cultivar
Turf-Type Tall Fescue (TTTF) - generic multi-cultivar blend
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 4-7; excellent heat tolerance for a cool-season grass; good cold hardiness; remains semi-evergreen in the transition zone.
About This Grass
A dense, upright bunching grass. Color is typically deep emerald to dark green. Texture is medium-coarse with prominent vertical growth. When unmowed, it produces tall flower stalks with panicle-type seed heads.
Blade Characteristics
Blade width is medium-coarse (4-8mm); tips are sharply pointed (not boat-shaped); color is medium to dark green; vernation is rolled in the bud; upper surface has prominent parallel veins; no auricles; ligule is short and membranous.
Root System
Deep fibrous root system (often reaching 2-3 feet); low thatch tendency; slow recovery from damage due to bunching habit; excellent soil stabilization.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe and North Africa; widely naturalized in North America across the Transition Zone
Growth Habit
Bunch-type (clump-forming) with limited short rhizomes in newer turf-type varieties; low/moderate spreading rate
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun to partial shade; prefers 4-6 hours minimum; moderate to high water needs but utilizes deep roots for high drought tolerance compared to other cool-season grasses; prefers pH 5.5-7.5.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal height 3.0-4.0 inches; mow weekly; requires 2-4 lbs Nitrogen per 1000 sq ft annually; low dethatching needs; high maintenance during summer heat; regular overseeding required to maintain density.
Special Characteristics
Excellent wear tolerance; moderately shade tolerant; high resistance to heat stress; susceptible to Brown Patch fungus in high humidity; poor ability to fill in bare spots naturally.
Ecological Information
Introduced species; provides cover for small mammals; excellent for filtering runoff and erosion control on slopes; can be invasive in native meadow ecosystems; often paired with Bluegrass for sod strength.