Festuca elata Seeds | Tall Fescue
LATIN NAME: Festuca elata
COMMON NAME: Tall Fescue
Plant Profile
Festuca elata, better known as Tall Fescue, is a tufted, perennial in the grass family, native to moist meadows and open ground of the Europe and surrounding regions, while it is treasured for its fine, tough, leafy growth. In true grass family it is tough, tufted fescue of meadows and lawns, a grass that stands up to grazing, wear and open weather. At maturity it stands about One metre. Gardeners value it precisely for this blend of qualities.
Science & Biotechnology
Festuca elata sits in the grass family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Tall fescue holds a place in forage and turf papers of grassland science, and plant scientists have studied its growth, its yield and its ways of standing up to grazing and the wear. Continuing work by breeders and collectors keeps good seed of this species moving through the trade.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Tall Fescue for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. In meadow and lawn, tall fescue is tough, tufted grass that holds the ground. Its dense tufts shelter small creatures, its upright heads feed birds, and leafy growth gives bank a fine, green cover. It has served pasture, lawn and playing field, and it grows well in moist, open ground. Getting it going is easy; keeping it going is easier still.
Fescues are the backbone of fine lawns and upland pasture, and their roots host the alkaloid chemistry that makes endophyte research a whole field of forage science.
Growing from Seed
Starting Tall Fescue from seed is simple and satisfying. Sow the seeds evenly over the surface and cover lightly in a loose, well-drained seed compost, keep the sowing evenly moist, and give the pot or tray bright light. Move strong seedlings into individual pots, keep them in good light, and set them out when the weather and their size agree.
Our Take
Among the Festuca group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. Sun, free drainage and a patient first year are all it really requires.
Related Reading
More species in the same orbit as Tall Fescue: