Festuca Beyond Blue™

Festuca Beyond Blue™: Blue Tufts That Refuse to Fade

Some blue grasses fade to grey the minute summer turns up the heat. This fescue keeps its intense blue like it signed a contract. COLOUR-FAST, HEAT-PROOF AND FRANKLY A LITTLE SHOW-OFFY.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Festuca glauca 'Casca11'
• Common Name: Blue Fescue
• Height: 23–30 cm (9–12 in)
• Spread: 30–45 cm (12–18 in)
• Flowers: Slender spikes that open blue-grey and age to light tan
• Bloom Time: Early summer (June to July)
• Foliage: Fine, needle-like, intensely blue blades that hold their colour through summer heat
• Features: Compact

Where to Plant: Use it to edge a sunny path, fill gaps in a rock garden, or plant it in groups for a low ribbon of blue. It suits gravel gardens, containers and the front of hot, dry borders where lusher plants sulk.

Companion Plants: Use Beyond Blue™ to edge a sunny, dry bed with white and yellow and spiky steel-blue globes. Phlox subulata 'Snowflake' carpets the front at 10 to 15 cm with white flowers in April and May. Achillea 'Peter Cottontail' adds white button flowers at 45 to 60 cm from June to September. Echinacea 'Mellow Yellows' brings soft yellow coneflowers at 80 cm from June to October. Echinops ritro adds spiky steel-blue globes at 90 to 120 cm from July to September.

Plant Care: Give it full sun and sharp drainage. Sandy, gravelly or average soil is ideal. Heavy, wet clay is the biggest threat, especially in winter, so add grit or plant on a slight slope if your soil holds water. Water regularly the first season, then only during long droughts. Skip the fertilizer. Rich soil tends to make fescues floppy and less blue. In early spring, comb out the dead blades with your fingers or a rake. Trim off the flower spikes once they brown if you prefer a tidy look. Blue fescues are naturally short-lived, so lift and divide the clump every few years when the centre starts to thin.

History: Blue fescue, Festuca glauca, grows on dry, rocky ground in southern Europe. Beyond Blue™ was selected by the breeders All In BV and Por Todo BV for intense blue colour that stays bright all season, plus a strong root system.

Final Thoughts: Edge a sunny walkway or fill a pot by the patio. THE BLUEST THING IN YOUR YARD, INCLUDING THE POOL.