About
Forms compact, evergreen cushions of foliage about 10cm across, with densely-tufted, very fine, needle-like spiky, silvery blue-green leaves. Produces upright flower stems with violet-tinged, silvery blue-green flowers in spikelets during early summer, that turn pale golden-brown in autumn.
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
HabitTufted
FoliageEvergreen
HeightUp to 10 cm
Spread0-0.1 metre
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Mediterranean climate plants, 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. See ornamental grasses cultivation advice
PruningTidy up in spring by combing any dead foliage out of the middle of plant
PropagationPropagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in spring or by division in spring
Pest resistanceGenerally pest-free
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-free