Festuca ovina L.
Hard Fescue
Sheep's fescue is a small, densely tufted perennial grass native to Britain and across Eurasia, forming tight, neat cushions of very fine, blue-green, almost needle-like leaves that are rolled and bristle-like. In early summer it produces short, slender flowering stems topped with compact, narrow panicles of small spikelets, often flushed purplish before fading to pale brown.
About
Sheep's fescue is a small, densely tufted perennial grass native to Britain and across Eurasia, forming tight, neat cushions of very fine, blue-green, almost needle-like leaves that are rolled and bristle-like. In early summer it produces short, slender flowering stems topped with compact, narrow panicles of small spikelets, often flushed purplish before fading to pale brown.
It is a grass of dry, poor and infertile ground, thriving on acid and well-drained soils in heaths, hill pastures, dry grassland, downs and rocky places, in full sun. Hard-wearing, low-growing and tolerant of close grazing, it is a key fine grass of upland and lowland turf and a useful component of low-maintenance, drought-tolerant and species-rich grassland mixes, where its tight tussocks help form a fine sward. It is one of the food plants of the caterpillars of several grassland butterflies.
Also known as
Ovina · Sheep Fescue · Sheep's Fescue · Sheep's-fescue · Sheep’s Fescue
Synonyms
? coreana · ? hibernica · Avena ovina · Bromus ovinus · Festuca agrestis · Festuca amethystina asperrima · Festuca baumgarteniana · Festuca capillaris · Festuca centroapenninica · Festuca chiisanensis
In our seed mixes
- BFS 10 – Species Rich Wildflower Meadow Seed Mix
- BFS 11 – Coastal Meadow Grassland Seed Mix
- BFS 14 – Brownfield Site Wildflower Mix (Open Mosaic Habitat on Previously Developed Land) – 80% Flora
- BFS 2 – Acid Grassland Wildflower Seed Mix for Sandy or Peaty Soils
- BFS 7 – Calcareous Grassland Wildflower Seed Mix
- BFS 9 – Country Meadow Wildflower Seed Mix
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.