Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue') is a short-lived, semi-evergreen ornamental grass prized for its striking blue-gray foliage that forms tight, dome-shaped clumps reaching 9 to 12 inches tall and spreading 12 to 18 inches wide. Hardy in zones 4 through 8, this low-maintenance grass thrives in full sun and handles drought, poor soils, and urban conditions with ease, making it a reliable choice for gardeners seeking year-round color and texture without fussy care. Light green flowers tinged with purple emerge from June through August, though they're modest and secondary to the real show: that distinctive needle-like blue-gray foliage that catches light like nothing else in the garden.
Full Sun
Moderate
4-8
12in H x 18in W
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Moderate
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The glaucous blue-gray needle-like foliage forms a tight porcupine-like tuft that delivers color and texture in even the driest, most neglected corners of your garden. Blue Fescue handles drought, poor soils, black walnut toxicity, and urban conditions without breaking a sweat, making it one of the toughest ornamental grasses you can grow. Semi-evergreen in mild winters, it holds its color longer than you'd expect, though it needs division every two to three years to stay dense and vigorous.
Blue Fescue works best as a ground cover, where its low-growing clumps create a dense, textured carpet of blue-gray color. Mass it in drifts across sunny borders, tuck it into rock gardens and alpine beds where drainage is sharp, or use it as edging along pathways to catch morning and evening light.
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Cut back foliage in early spring before new growth emerges. This rejuvenates the clump and removes winter-damaged or browning foliage, encouraging fresh, vigorous growth.
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