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Tall Fescue

Lolium arundinaceum

Found in fields, roadsides, pastures, disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height
About 3 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to moist
See native alternatives

Plant this instead

Choose your county to list local plants first.

  • Ravenfoot Sedge
    Carex crus-corvi

    Sun: Part to full shade. Soil: Average to moist. Flowers: Green.

    Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

  • Crested Sedge
    Carex cristatella

    Sun: Full sun to part shade. Soil: Average to wet. Flowers: Green.

    Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

  • Eastern Narrowleaf Sedge
    Carex amphibola

    Sun: Partial shade, Full shade, Full sun. Soil: Somewhat dry to average. Flowers: Green.

    Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

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At a glance

Bloom
May to July
Fruiting season
Spring to summer

Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 54 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

7CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Festuca

  • Acrolophus popeanellaClemen's Grass Tubeworm
  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Atalopedes huronSachem
  • Cisseps fulvicollisYellow-Collared Scape Moth
  • Pediasia trisectaSod Webworm Moth, Larger Sod Webworm
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
6BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Festuca

  • Alectoris chukarChukar
  • Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
  • Spizella pusillaField Sparrow
  • Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Poaceae
Flower color
Yellow
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Spring
Fruit ends
Summer

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Festuca elatior; fescue

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNA
Global rankGNR
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources