Tall Fescue
Festuca arundinacea (syn. Schedonorus arundinaceus) · Cool-season, Perennial, C3 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, Subfamily Pooideae, Tribe Poeae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass, Pasture/Forage, Erosion Control
Variety / Cultivar
Turf-Type Tall Fescue (TTTF); variety unknown but exhibiting the dark green, finer-bladed characteristics of modern cultivars compared to 'Kentucky 31'.
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 4-7; excellent heat tolerance for a cool-season grass, making it the primary choice for the Transition Zone. Stays green through much of winter in milder climates.
About This Grass
A hardy, deep-rooted grass with a coarse to medium-coarse texture. It has a deep green color and maintains a bunch-like growth form. When unmowed, it can reach 3-4 feet; maintained turf stays dense and upright. Seed heads are open panicles.
Blade Characteristics
Blade width is medium-coarse (4-10mm); flat shape with a distinctly pointed tip. Color is deep emerald green with prominent longitudinal veins/ribs on the upper surface. Vernation is rolled in the bud. Ligule is short and membranous; auricles are small or absent (rudimentary). Margin of the blade is often rough to the touch.
Root System
Deeply fibrous root system, often reaching 2-3 feet in depth. Low thatch tendency due to bunch growth. Excellent drought tolerance once established. Slow to recover from thinning due to lack of spreading structures.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Europe and North Africa; widely naturalized across the United States, particularly in the Transition Zone.
Growth Habit
Bunch-type (clump-forming); lacks significant rhizomes or stolons, spreading primarily through tillering which creates dense clumps.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun to partial shade (highly shade tolerant for a cool-season grass). Requires moderate water but survives drought by going dormant. Prefers well-drained soil with pH 5.5 to 7.0.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal height: 3.0 to 4.0 inches. Frequency: Weekly during growing season. Fertilization: 2-4 lbs N per 1000 sq ft annually. Low to medium maintenance; requires periodic overseeding to fill in bare spots.
Special Characteristics
High wear tolerance and traffic resistance. Good resistance to many common turf diseases like dollar spot, though susceptible to Brown Patch in high humidity. Very good salt tolerance and the best shade tolerance of common cool-season lawn grasses.
Ecological Information
Introduced species; provides soil stabilization for slopes and erosion control. Used in pastures but some older varieties contain endophytes that can be toxic to livestock (though beneficial for turf insects). Often blended with Kentucky Bluegrass.