Roemer's Fescue

Festuca roemeri / Festuca idahoensis ssp roemeri Roemer’s Fescue is a highly-ornamental bunchgrass with compact tufts that usually stand less than one foot tall. It's an evergreen, looking its finest in the cooler months when it sports lush blue-green foliage. By late spring, it shoots up tan seed stalks 2-5’ tall, swaying in the wind, until the plant goes dormant to wait out the heat and drought of mid-summer. This bunchgrass was once a common component of Willamette Valley oak savannas, but is now overtaken by invasive weeds and has diminished to almost nothing. In this way, Roemer’s Fescue presents us with an important opportunity to bring part of Oregon’s ecological legacy back to our gardens.  Plant type/canopy layer: deciduous, perennial, grass or grass-like plant Size at maturity: 12" tall, 12-24" wide (seed stalks 2-5' tall) Light requirements: full sun Moisture requirements: dry to moist soil, prefers well-drained Bloom time: n/a Growth rate/ease: moderate grow