Festuca mairei
Atlas Fescue
USDA 5
This long-lived evergreen clumping grass is one of my go-to grasses for making meadows in a Mediterranean climate. It's arching fountain like foliage is a rich warm khaki green that is a great blending color in western landscapes. Durable, tidy, long-lived, and dependable, the Atlas fescue is hard to beat as a large-scale ground cover grass.
The pleated leaves grow in clumps 2.5-3' tall and as wide. The flowers are slender and usually not showy. Almost always neat, this grass is hard to beat for a sunny drought tolerant meadow.
Native to the Atlas Mountains in North Africa, it is reported to grow in southern Europe as well. There are currently two distinct clones being offered by California nurseries and sadly few nurseries are aware of the origin of their stock and many have mixed inventory and are unaware of the two clones.
Our original plants came from famous plantsman Kurt Bluemel in Maryland. The clone came from the European nursery trade and flowers spikes were inconspicuous, slender and did not produce viable seed. Some 6-7 years ago, the plant was offered by the Jelitto Seed Company and plants from this seed strain are almost completely difference plants. The seedling strain has courser foliage that grows 2-3' high and as wide, but has noticeably showy flower spikes that grow 2.5-3' above the foliage. Plants are similar when young and hard to distinguish from each other until they flower. I have often blended the two clones in plantings, sometimes on purpose, others by serendipity not knowing I had two clones. The 'flowering form', as we refer to it, actually sets viable seed and naturalizes in irrigated settings. The flowering form will noticeably differ from the original clone so care should be taken to shop from nurseries that know where their stock comes from.
Atlas fescue grows best in full sun or light shade. It tolerates a wide variety of soil conditions from sand to clay. It is evergreen in all but the coldest climates. In cold winter climates, frozen winter foliage turns to a parchment color.
Uses:
In small gardens, the Atlas fescue makes a good mid height sweep of texture and foliage. Use in groupings of 3-5-9 in sweeps and drifts. In large scale plantings it's hard to beat the Atlas fescue as a good long lived ground cover base planting
Coastal:
Atlas fescue grows well by the coast, but is untested in salt spray conditions. Plants may develop rust in foggy, overcast, 'June gloom' conditions but usually the rust just gives the foliage an 'orangish cast'.
Alpine:
Atlas fescue is dependable to 8000' with well-drained soils and a sunny location.
Desert:
Atlas fescue is suitable for high desert but not low desert conditions. It cannot be allowed to dry out for extended periods in a high desert setting.
Slopes:
Atlas fescue is a good groundcover on slopes in all but the hottest climates. Plants grow smaller on steep sunny locations.
Planting:
Plant Atlas fescue from divisions, plugs or pots. Divisions are best in spring, fall or winter never in summer. Plugs or pots can be planted at any time, as long as new plants can be kept sufficiently moist. Plant plants 2-3' on-center depending on the number and concentrations of accents. In densely accented plantings 3-3.5' on-center is preferred with filler grasses, plugs and accent grasses planted in between.
New Plantings:
Keep newly planted plugs well watered and do not allow them to dry out until plants are well rooted usually 2-3-4 weeks depending on time of year. After rooting, mow new plantings every 4-6 weeks until plantings fill in.
Fertilization:
Fertilize new plantings every 4 weeks.
Longevity: Long lived
Watering:
Atlas fescue is drought tolerant but needs some summer water to be successful. Established plantings should stay 'green' with 1-3 waterings per month in most soils and all but high desert climates.
John Greenlee Takeaway:
This is one of my go-to grasses for sunny Mediterranean meadows. It's foliage looks good year round and is a great blending color with drought tolerant plants. One of the best ground cover grasses.
Atlas Fescue
USDA 5
This long-lived evergreen clumping grass is one of my go-to grasses for making meadows in a Mediterranean climate. It's arching fountain like foliage is a rich warm khaki green that is a great blending color in western landscapes. Durable, tidy, long-lived, and dependable, the Atlas fescue is hard to beat as a large-scale ground cover grass.
The pleated leaves grow in clumps 2.5-3' tall and as wide. The flowers are slender and usually not showy. Almost always neat, this grass is hard to beat for a sunny drought tolerant meadow.
Native to the Atlas Mountains in North Africa, it is reported to grow in southern Europe as well. There are currently two distinct clones being offered by California nurseries and sadly few nurseries are aware of the origin of their stock and many have mixed inventory and are unaware of the two clones.
Our original plants came from famous plantsman Kurt Bluemel in Maryland. The clone came from the European nursery trade and flowers spikes were inconspicuous, slender and did not produce viable seed. Some 6-7 years ago, the plant was offered by the Jelitto Seed Company and plants from this seed strain are almost completely difference plants. The seedling strain has courser foliage that grows 2-3' high and as wide, but has noticeably showy flower spikes that grow 2.5-3' above the foliage. Plants are similar when young and hard to distinguish from each other until they flower. I have often blended the two clones in plantings, sometimes on purpose, others by serendipity not knowing I had two clones. The 'flowering form', as we refer to it, actually sets viable seed and naturalizes in irrigated settings. The flowering form will noticeably differ from the original clone so care should be taken to shop from nurseries that know where their stock comes from.
Atlas fescue grows best in full sun or light shade. It tolerates a wide variety of soil conditions from sand to clay. It is evergreen in all but the coldest climates. In cold winter climates, frozen winter foliage turns to a parchment color.
Uses:
In small gardens, the Atlas fescue makes a good mid height sweep of texture and foliage. Use in groupings of 3-5-9 in sweeps and drifts. In large scale plantings it's hard to beat the Atlas fescue as a good long lived ground cover base planting
Coastal:
Atlas fescue grows well by the coast, but is untested in salt spray conditions. Plants may develop rust in foggy, overcast, 'June gloom' conditions but usually the rust just gives the foliage an 'orangish cast'.
Alpine:
Atlas fescue is dependable to 8000' with well-drained soils and a sunny location.
Desert:
Atlas fescue is suitable for high desert but not low desert conditions. It cannot be allowed to dry out for extended periods in a high desert setting.
Slopes:
Atlas fescue is a good groundcover on slopes in all but the hottest climates. Plants grow smaller on steep sunny locations.
Planting:
Plant Atlas fescue from divisions, plugs or pots. Divisions are best in spring, fall or winter never in summer. Plugs or pots can be planted at any time, as long as new plants can be kept sufficiently moist. Plant plants 2-3' on-center depending on the number and concentrations of accents. In densely accented plantings 3-3.5' on-center is preferred with filler grasses, plugs and accent grasses planted in between.
New Plantings:
Keep newly planted plugs well watered and do not allow them to dry out until plants are well rooted usually 2-3-4 weeks depending on time of year. After rooting, mow new plantings every 4-6 weeks until plantings fill in.
Fertilization:
Fertilize new plantings every 4 weeks.
Longevity: Long lived
Watering:
Atlas fescue is drought tolerant but needs some summer water to be successful. Established plantings should stay 'green' with 1-3 waterings per month in most soils and all but high desert climates.
John Greenlee Takeaway:
This is one of my go-to grasses for sunny Mediterranean meadows. It's foliage looks good year round and is a great blending color with drought tolerant plants. One of the best ground cover grasses.
