Blue Fescue Grass

Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue') is the tidiest small grass in the trade: a neat hemisphere of fine silver blue foliage about 25cm tall and 30cm across that holds its shape with no clipping at all. Planted 30cm apart it becomes a continuous silver blue carpet along a path or through gravel. It is frost hardy, drought tolerant, and not toxic to cats or dogs.

Why you'll love it

• Silver blue colour all year. The tone is strongest in full sun and cool weather, and it carries through winter.
• It keeps its own shape. Each plant forms a tight dome on its own, so a row stays even without shearing.
• Genuinely tough. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, content in poor soil and salt tolerant enough for a coastal front garden.
• Pet friendly. Not toxic to cats or dogs, which makes it a safe pick for a border a dog runs through.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 30cm apart for an unbroken silver line along a path or driveway. At that spacing the domes touch without merging into a shapeless mat.

Rockeries and gravel gardens. The blue reads well against stone and the sharp drainage of a rockery is exactly what the roots want. Pair it with succulents and low sedums.

Mass planting and pots. Drift it at 30cm centres through a dry sunny bed, or use single plants in shallow bowls and troughs with a free draining mix.

Growing Blue Fescue in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. It is at home in cool temperate, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, and it handles frost without protection. Humid summers are its weakness, so in subtropical gardens treat it as a shorter lived plant and expect to replace clumps every few years.

Soil. Sharp drainage matters more than fertility. Sandy, gravelly and poor soils all suit it. On clay, plant into a raised bed or a pot, because wet feet in summer will rot the crown.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first season to settle the roots, then only in long dry spells. It needs almost no feeding; rich soil and heavy fertiliser produce soft green growth and wash out the blue.

Maintenance. Comb the dead blades out with your fingers in late winter, or shear the clump back to about 5cm to force a fresh flush. Lift and divide every three years or so, before the centre of the clump opens up.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as tube stock or as 140mm pots in packs of ten. Tube stock is the value option for a long border and fills out within a season. The 140mm packs arrive already forming their dome, so a path edge looks finished immediately.

Grasses travel well, and a little flattening of the foliage in transit combs out in a day. Expect the plants to settle within a few weeks and reach full size in their first year. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare the wider range of grasses and strappy leaf plants.
• Browse companions in rockery plants.
• Read our guide to designing with ornamental grasses.
• See other plants safe for pets.

Common questions

Why has the middle of my clump died out?

Blue fescue naturally opens up in the centre as it ages, usually after two or three years. Lift the clump, split it into pieces with healthy roots and replant them. That resets the plant completely.

Will it grow in a humid climate?

It will grow, but not for as long. Constant summer humidity and wet soil shorten its life in subtropical gardens, so plant it in a raised, well drained position and accept it as a shorter term plant there.

Is it safe around pets?

Yes. Blue fescue is not toxic to cats or dogs, and the soft foliage does not carry the sharp seed heads that cause trouble in dog paws.