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Festuca amethystina

tufted fescue

An evergreen grass which forms dense tufts of thin, blue-green, in-rolled leaves up to 25cm long. The flower stems grow above the foliage in summer, ending in small, green flower spikes with a pink-purple tint, turning buff as the seeds ripen

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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 Blue Green
Summer Green Purple Blue Green
Autumn Blue Green
Winter Blue Green
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or East–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
Botanical details
Family
Poaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
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

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in poor to moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun; 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
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Rock garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Low Maintenance
  • Flower borders and beds
Pruning

No pruning required. Comb out dead foliage in early spring

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to a rust

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