Scientific name: Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’
Family: POACEAE
Common names: “Blue fescue”
Plant Type: Evergreen perennial grass
Conditions:
Zone: 4-8
Light: Full sun – part shade, prefer less hot afternoon sun
Exposure: Sheltered
Soil: Poor – moderately fertile soil, prefers less clay
Moisture: Moist well drained , can take some drought
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: H 9-12″ W 12″
Leaf and Stem shape: Small cushions of very fine, inrolled, intensely ice-blue leaves, becoming greener in winter
Flower: Narrow, bristly blue-green flower plumes that turn golden-brown from late spring to summer
Maintenance: High, can extend plants life with annual shearing, can be divided but will never get that nice colour back
Landscape use: Mass planting, containers, edging, courtyard, rock garden
Propagate: By division and seed (40% true)
Pests & Disease: Rust may be a problem, will rot out in winter wet
*Deer resistant, rabbits eat
Comments: “Probably one of the most overused…” Fantastic colour for the first couple years but tend to turn wretched over time, native to southern France
Vancouver Island Grows 