About
Festuca crinum-ursi is a species of fescue grass in the genus Festuca. It flowers in the UK from June to August. The plant shows the fine-leaved, tufted grassy habit associated with fescues and is managed in cultivation like other ornamental fescues. Flowering stems provide a seasonal textural contrast within grass and mixed plantings.
About the genus
Festuca (fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae. They are evergreen, herbaceous, or perennial, tufted grasses with a height range of 10–200 cm (4–79 in) and a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. The genus is closely related to ryegrass (Lolium), and recent evidence from phylogenetic studies using DNA sequencing of plant mitochondrial DNA shows that the genus lacks monophyly.
Wikipedia contributors, "Festuca", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Festuca
In the garden
Festuca crinum-ursi belongs to the fescue group of grasses and is sold under the common name Fescue. As with other Festuca species, flowering takes place between June and August, when slender flowering stems rise above the foliage and add seasonal texture to planting schemes. Taxonomy within the genus can be complex, but gardeners treat this plant primarily for its grassy form rather than for showy blooms. Plants of this type are generally used where a fine, grassy texture is required. Sit it where the grassy habit will be visible — along borders, at the front of perennial beds, or as an understorey beneath larger shrubs. Establish plants with firm contact to the soil and keep competing weeds away while roots become established. Remove old, untidy foliage before new shoots emerge to maintain a neat clump and to encourage fresh growth. Routine maintenance is straightforward: monitor for excessive moisture around the crown and avoid prolonged waterlogging, and divide or lift congested clumps when the centre begins to thin. The flowering period from June to August offers a predictable window when seedheads and stems can be assessed for trimming or for collecting if desired.
