Blue Fescue Grass

Blue Fescue Grass (Festuca glauca) is the neat steel blue tuft landscapers reach for when a border needs structure without height. It makes a tidy dome about 30cm tall and wide and stays that way, so a row reads as a deliberate line, not a spreading mess. The colour is the point: a cool metallic blue that lifts grey stone, dark mulch and silver foliage.

Why you'll love it

• Real blue foliage, all year. The colour is strongest in full sun and lean soil, and it holds through winter in cool gardens.
• It stays small and stays put. A 30cm dome that clumps rather than runs, so it will not colonise a bed or lift paving.
• Pet friendly. Not toxic to cats or dogs, which makes it a safe choice for a front border where animals wander.
• Tough where it counts. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, happy in poor soil and salt tolerant enough for a coastal garden.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 30cm apart for an unbroken blue line along a path or bed. At that spacing the domes just touch at maturity and each one keeps its shape.

Rockeries and gravel gardens. The lean, sharply drained conditions in a rockery are what bring out the blue, and the tufted form suits stone.

Mass planting and pots. Drifts at 30cm centres cover ground without the upkeep of a lawn, and in containers it sits neatly around a taller feature if the mix drains fast.

Growing blue fescue in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. This is a cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean plant, so southern gardens, the tablelands and dry inland districts suit it best. It dislikes humid summers, and in coastal Queensland and the tropics it tends to rot at the crown, so choose a native tussock instead.

Soil. Sharply drained and not rich. Sandy or gravelly ground is ideal, and heavy clay needs a raised bed with grit worked through. Wet soil is the single most common cause of failure.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer to settle the roots, then only in long dry spells. Feeding is largely unnecessary, and rich soil produces soft green growth that loses the blue.

Maintenance. Comb dead blades out with your fingers in late winter, and shear the clump to about 8cm every second or third year. Divide tired clumps in early spring.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tube stock and in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Tube stock is small and the economical way to plant a long border or a large drift; give it a season to reach full size. The 140mm plants arrive as established tufts with the blue already showing and fill in faster.

Grasses travel well, though the blades may look flattened on arrival and will lift within a week. Plant at the same depth they sat in the pot, because burying the crown invites rot. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the wider grasses and strappy leaf range.
• Read our guide to designing with ornamental grasses.
• Find more plants that are safe for pets.
• See companions in rockery plants.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Thirty centimetres apart for a continuous border. Stretch it to 40cm if you want each tuft to read as a separate dome.

Will it grow in a humid subtropical garden?

Usually not for long. Blue fescue comes from cool, dry summer country and resents humidity and wet soil, so it often rots in coastal Queensland and northern New South Wales.

Is it safe if my dog chews it?

Yes. Blue fescue is not toxic to cats or dogs. As with any grass a large mouthful may cause a mild stomach upset, but the plant carries no known toxin.

Why has mine gone green?

Too much water, feed or shade. Cut it back hard in late winter and move it into full sun.