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
• Plant Patent: USPP 23,307

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: Hemerocallis Happy Ever Appster™ 'Big Time Happy' adds yellow daylilies at 40 to 45 cm from June to September, bright beside the blue tufts. Sedum 'Fulda Glow' creeps at 5 to 10 cm with red flowers from July to September. Behind them, Verbena hastata 'Blue Spires' rises to 120 cm with blue spikes from July to September. Fine, low and tall forms work well together in sun or part sun.

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.