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Grass Like

Festuca mairei

Atlas fescue

An ornamental, clump-forming grass, forming large, neat, rounded mounds of foliage, to 75cm tall, evergreen in milder areas, with very fine grey-green leaves. From early summer it bears narrow, bristly grey-green flower plumes that turn golden-brown

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Poaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Semi evergreen or Evergreen
Habit: Clump forming
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: Unresolved
Plant range: Morocco

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow 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 for further advice

Propagation

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

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Gravel garden
Patio and container plants
Rock garden
Low Maintenance
Bedding
Flower borders and beds
Garden edging

Pruning

Comb out dead foliage and trim damaged parts of older leaves in spring

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

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