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Red Fescue

Festuca rubra

42
Good

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height
About 2 feet
Light
Dappled sunlight, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
Mid spring
Fruiting season
Spring to summer

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 42 Virginia counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 106 animals.

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

10CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Festuca

  • Acrolophus popeanellaClemen's Grass Tubeworm
  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Apamea sordensBordered Apamea, Rustic Shoulder-Knot
  • Atalopedes huronSachem
  • Chrysoteuchia topiariusCranberry Girder, Subterranean Webworm, Topiary Grass-Veneer
  • Cisseps fulvicollisYellow-Collared Scape Moth
  • Hesperia sassacusIndian Skipper
  • 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)
0BeesSoutheastern regional records
0Specialist 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

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Poaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–6b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Yellow
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Spring
Fruit ends
Summer

What its natural habitat tells you

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

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Mid spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Flower color · “Yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit ends · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth habit · “Spreads by rhizomes” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Hardiness · “Zones 3a–6b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “About 2 feet” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Dappled sunlight (shade through upper canopy all day); Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry; Very dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

Virginia rankS5
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

  • Spreads by rhizomes. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as rhizomatous. USDA PLANTS

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources