Tall Fescue
Festuca arundinacea (syn. Schedonorus arundinaceus) · Cool-season, Perennial, C3 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Pooideae, tribe Poeae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass, Forage/Pasture, Erosion Control
Variety / Cultivar
Kentucky-31 (K-31) or similar unrefined forage-type fescue
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 4-7; excellent heat tolerance for a cool-season grass; transition zone favorite; semi-dormant in extreme summer heat or winter cold.
About This Grass
A coarse-textured, deep-rooted grass forming dense individual clumps. It maintains a medium-to-dark green color during the growing season and remains green longer into winter than warm-season grasses. Without mowing, it can reach 2-4 feet in height with open panicle seed heads.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse width (>4mm); prominent longitudinal ribs on the upper surface; margins are rough/serrated to the touch; tips are sharply pointed (not boat-shaped); vernation is rolled in the bud; auricles are usually absent or very small and hairless; ligule is short and membranous.
Root System
Deep fibrous root system (can reach 2-3 feet deep), which provides superior drought tolerance compared to other cool-season grasses. It has a low thatch-forming tendency and slow lateral spread because it lacks stolons.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe and North Africa; widely naturalized across the United States Transition Zone
Growth Habit
Bunch-type (clump-forming); lacks significant rhizomes or stolons; spreads via tillering, resulting in the patchy clumping visible in the foreground.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun to partial shade (4-6 hours minimum); moderate water needs but possesses high drought avoidance due to deep roots; grows best in slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.5).
Mowing & Maintenance
Recommended height 3.0-4.0 inches; mowing frequency is moderate; fertilization requires 2-4 lbs N per 1,000 sq ft annually; high maintenance in this specific image due to weed competition (dandelions) and bare soil requiring overseeding.
Special Characteristics
High wear tolerance once established but slow to recover from injury due to bunching habit; excellent for high-traffic home lawns and utility areas; relatively resistant to most diseases but susceptible to Brown Patch in high humidity.
Ecological Information
Introduced species in North America; provides soil stabilization on slopes; often contains endophytic fungi that protect the plant from insects but can be toxic to some livestock if used in specific pasture settings.