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Festuca gigantea

giant fescue

An evergreen grass to 1m tall with broad, flat, shiny foliage, purple nodes on the stems, and green flowers on sparse, arching stems in mid- to late summer

Synonyms
Schedonorus giganteus
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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Green Green
Autumn Green
Winter Green
Position
  • Full shade
  • Full sun
  • Partial shade
Aspect

West–facing or East–facing or South–facing

Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
Botanical details
Family
Poaceae
Native to the UK
Yes
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Tufted
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

Name status

Correct

Plant range
Europe to China, Bioko

How to grow

Cultivation

Grows in any well-drained soil in sun or shade; see also ornamental grasses cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in spring or by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Banks and slopes
Pruning

Comb out dead foliage in early spring

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be affected by a rust

Get involved

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