About
Forms evergreen mounds of foliage about 30cm tall, with densely-tufted, very fine, needle-like spiky, exceptionally silvery blue leaves. Produces upright flower stems with silvery blue flowers in spikelets during mid and late summer, that turn pale golden-brown.
About the genus
Festuca can be herbaceous or evergreen, rhizomatous grasses with linear, often strikingly coloured, leaves, and dense or lax panicles of brownish flowers in summer
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeChalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureWell-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeGrass Like
HabitClump forming, Tufted
FoliageEvergreen
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesArchitectural, City and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Patio and container plants, Rock garden
Care notes
CultivationGrow in poor to moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Clumps tend to die out in the middle, so ideally divide every three years. Further ornamental grasses cultivation advice
PruningComb out dead foliage and trim damaged parts of older leaves in spring
PropagationPropagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in spring (may not come true from seed) or by division in spring
Pest resistanceGenerally pest-free
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-free