Plants
Blue Fescue
Festuca glauca · Poaceae
Blue fescue is probably the best-known blue ornamental grass: a dense, hedgehog-like cushion of fine, steel-blue blades that barely reaches twenty centimetres. It is evergreen, extremely drought-tolerant and one of the most rewarding structural plants for rock gardens, containers and grave planting. We source our plants in compact nursery quality directly via the Veiling Rhein-Maas.
- Light
- Full sun — only there does the intense blue colouring develop.
- Watering
- Sparingly; short dry spells are no problem, waterlogging is the most common care mistake.
- Care level
- Easy
- Botanical
- Festuca glauca
The most intense blue colouring comes from selected cultivars such as „Elijah Blue“, „Intense Blue“ or „Azurit“. The colour comes from a wax layer on the blades that protects the plant from evaporation — the sunnier and leaner the spot, the bluer the grass.
That is exactly the most common mistake in practice: planting blue fescue in rich, moist soil. There it turns greenish, falls apart and rots from the inside. A free-draining, rather lean substrate with sand or grit and full sun are essential.
In June and July the grass sends up delicate blue-green flower spikes that later dry to straw yellow. If you prefer the cushion strictly graphic, cut the flower stems out; we think they give the grass a lovely, loose touch.
In container planting blue fescue is a classic structural partner: its cool blue shows off lavender, succulents and silver-leaved perennials, and calms down colourful summer schemes. It is also widely used in low-maintenance grave planting thanks to its winter hardiness and low water demand.
After three to four years older clumps often go bald in the centre. Division in spring helps: dig up the root ball, split it into fist-sized pieces with a spade and replant — the divisions establish willingly.
Is Blue Fescue toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Non-toxic
- Dogs
- Non-toxic
Blue fescue is non-toxic to cats, dogs and children. Cats like to nibble the blades; that is harmless, though as with any grass it can occasionally cause gagging or vomiting.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01Full-sun position — the more sun, the more intense the blue.
- 02Use a free-draining, lean substrate; mix sand or grit into container soil.
- 03Water sparingly and avoid waterlogging at all costs — the grass copes far better with drought.
- 04Feed little or not at all, otherwise the grass loses colour and shape.
- 05In spring, comb dead blades out with your fingers rather than cutting back hard.
- 06Divide every three to four years in spring once the clump goes bald in the centre.
Frequently asked
- Why is my blue fescue turning green instead of blue?
- Usually it is down to too many nutrients or too little sun. The plant only builds up its blue wax layer strongly in lean, full-sun positions. Stop feeding, move it into more sun or replant into leaner substrate — the colour returns with the new growth.
- Is blue fescue winter-hardy?
- Yes, Festuca glauca is hardy to around minus twenty degrees Celsius and stays blue through winter. In containers the root ball should be protected from constant wet, as cold combined with wet does more damage than frost.
- Do you need to cut back blue fescue?
- A hard cutback is not necessary and tends to weaken this evergreen grass. Better to comb out the dead blades with your fingers or a small rake in spring and only trim off the dried flower stems.
- Is blue fescue toxic to cats?
- No, blue fescue is non-toxic and considered pet-friendly. Many cats even use the fine blades as nibbling grass. Large amounts can upset the stomach, as any grass can — but it is nothing to worry about.