Creeping red fescue is a perennial turf grass in the grass family (Poaceae) native to the Northern Hemisphere.It is found all over the world in meadows, dunes, and open woodlands and is tolerant of many climates. The genus name, Festuca , is Latin for "stem or stalk." The species epithet, rubra , is Latin for "red." Creeping red fescue is a cool-season bunching grass that goes dormant in the summer. It is used by both wild and domestic animals for forage. It has an arching upright fountain habit and spreads quickly by creeping rhizomes. It is resistant to browsing by deer. Red fescue does well in part shade and cool climates. It is drought tolerant and requires low to medium fertilizer (typically, 1 to 3 lbs. of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft.) It can spread by rhizomes. Seeding rates are about 2 to 4 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. Left to its own devices, Red fescue can reach a height of 1 to 3 feet, but the recommended mowing height is 2 to 3 inches. As a cool-season lawn grass, creeping red fescue is one most fine-textured turf grasses available. It is highly tolerant of shade and is resilient. It can be mowed or left natural for a meadow look. For more information, please see the NC State Extension TurfFiles entry for Fine Fescues . Diseses, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Slow to rebound from thinning or damage. Susceptible to summer diseases in hot climates.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Ground Cover; Native Plant; Ornamental Grasses and Sedges; Turfgrass
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b
Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry | Very Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High; Medium
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Creeping; Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Bright green, veined basal leaves, narrow and needle like. Tufted, giving the the grass its springy characteristic.