Red Fescue

Festuca rubra is a species of grass known by the common name red fescue or creeping red fescue. It is widespread across much of theNorthern Hemisphere and can tolerate many habitats and climates. It is best adapted to well-drained soils in cool, temperate climates; it prefers shadier areas and is often planted for its shade tolerance. Wild animals browse it, but it has not been important for domestic forage due to low productivity and palatability. It is also anornamental plant for gardens.

Festuca rubrais perennial and has sub-species forms that haverhizomesand/or formsbunchgrasstufts. It mainly exists in neutral and acidic soils. It can grow between 2 to 20 cm tall.

Like all fescues, the leaves are narrow and needle like, making it less palatable to livestock. The swards that it forms are not as tufted as sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina) or wavy hair grass (Deschampsia flexuosa). The tufted nature is what gives the grass its springy characteristic. The leaves are bright green.

There are 4 to 10 spikelet flowers, which are up to 15 mm long.

The ligule is very short and blunt.