Tall Fescue
Festuca arundinacea (syn. Schedonorus arundinaceus) · Cool-season, Perennial, C3 carbon fixation pathway
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Pooideae, tribe Poeae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass, Sports Turf, Erosion Control
Variety / Cultivar
Turf-Type Tall Fescue (TTTF); likely a modern cultivar such as 'Rebel', 'Falcon', or 'Titan' based on the dense bunching and dark green color.
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 4-7; excellent heat tolerance for a cool-season grass; good cold hardiness, though it matures into dormancy during extreme freezes or summer heat stress.
About This Grass
A coarse-textured, deep-rooted grass that forms dense, upright clumps. It exhibits a dark, dull green color. When unmowed, it can reach 3-4 feet; maintained, it forms a resilient turf. The texture is characterized by prominent longitudinal ribs on the upper leaf surface.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse width (4-10mm); flat shape with a distinctly pointed tip; dark green with a dull underside; vernation is rolled in the bud; leaf surface is heavily ridged; ligule is short and membranous; auricles are small/absent and lack hairs (unlike Meadow Fescue).
Root System
Deeply fibrous; can extend 2-3 feet deep, allowing for superior heat and drought resistance compared to other cool-season grasses; very low thatch tendency; slow recovery from wear due to bunching habit.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Europe and North Africa; widely adapted to the United States (Transition Zone and Northern regions).
Growth Habit
Bunch-type (clump-forming); lacks stolons and typically lacks significant rhizomes, meaning it spreads very slowly and maintains a distinct clumped appearance.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun to partial shade; prefers 6-8 hours of sun but is the most shade-tolerant of the common cool-season turf grasses; requires regular watering during establishment; high drought tolerance once mature.
Mowing & Maintenance
High mowing height (2.5 to 4.0 inches); frequency depends on growth but tall clippings should be avoided; 2-4 lbs N per 1000 sq ft annually; low dethatching needs; high maintenance level for elite appearance.
Special Characteristics
Excellent wear tolerance for foot traffic; high salt tolerance; moderate disease resistance to Brown Patch; limited ability to self-repair which requires periodic overseeding to fill in bare spots.
Ecological Information
Introduced/Naturalized in North America; provides bird cover and forage for livestock (though some cultivars contain endophytes for pest resistance); excellent for soil stabilization on slopes due to deep roots.