Festuca Mairei: Atlas Fescue Information and Care


Festuca Mairei, or Atlas Fescue, is a beautiful evergreen clumping grass. Why consider it and how to grow it?
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Atlas fescue is an evergreen clumping grass that thrives in Mediterranean meadows and has a long lifespan. It’s a wonderful large-scale ground cover and might just be the ornamental grass your garden needs. 

General Information

Festuca mairei is native to North Africa’s Atlas Mountains but is also found in southern Europe. It features yellowish gray-green leaves that mature to form fountain-like mounds that are 18 to 24 inches tall and wide. The leaves themselves are 2.5 to 3 inches tall and grow in clusters.

Its arching foliage is a rich, warm khaki green that works well as a unifying shade in many western gardens.  This grass is suitable to use in a sunny, drought-tolerant meadow.

In late spring, inflorescences emerge. The flowers are tiny and subtle. The grass blooms all summer and throughout the fall. 

In fall, both the leaves and inflorescences begin to turn a wheat-colored shade. Unlike other grasses, Atlas fescue does not have to be cut back in winter. In mild climates, it remains evergreen throughout the year.

large bush of fetusca grass under the heat of the sun

Care and Maintenance

Atlas fescue is a low-maintenance grass that thrives with little care. Annual pruning is recommended but not required.

Propagation

Division is the most successful method of propagation, and even beginners can accomplish it. 

Dig up the entire clump and split it in the center with a shovel to propagate. The cuttings should then be transplanted.

Grasses should be divided every four to five years to prevent dry leaves and holes in the center. Division produces mature grasses that are identical to the parent plant.

Soil

Atlas fescue requires no special care as long as the soil is dry and bright. Because of its origin, it can tolerate rough terrain.

Plant the grass in soil that drains well. The best substrates to use are sandy loam, gritty loam, or sandy clay with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5.

Watering

Established plants should remain green with 1 to 3 monthly waterings in most soils, except for extreme desert temperatures. While Atlas fescue is drought-resistant, it still requires some water to thrive in the heat.

Pruning

Atlas fescue may require a spring cut before the new shoots emerge. This helps in reshaping the grass.

A light raking in the spring will help eliminate withered leaves and comb out the foliage. 

Pruning is essential when rusting is an issue.

full grown ornamental grass in the fields

How to Use It in Landscapes

Fescues can be found practically anywhere and are utilized for a wide range of purposes. They look attractive, whether carefully lined up in a garden bed or clumping in a container. 

It is a popular choice for beds and borders, city parks, and cottage gardens. It can be found in residential areas, raised planters, open spaces, and around water features.

Atlas fescue is a great choice for slopes that are threatened by erosion. It is a versatile, large-area ground cover that gives a natural meadow feel to any area. 

No matter which location you select, once the inflorescences have emerged and sway in the wind, they present a lovely picture of movement.

Companion Plants

Fescues are well known for their ability to form clusters, which means they will not suffocate less resilient plant companions. 

They are frequently coupled with plants that enhance the aesthetics of the garden. Popular choices include echinacea and rudbeckia.

Here are some other options:

Origanum ‘Rosenkuppel’ (Ornamental Oregano) 

‘Rosenkuppel’ is a slender, purple-flushed ornamental shrub with soft, fragrant stems and leaves. It is perfect for a rock garden.

Both the leaves and the late summer flowers of this plant are decorative. Clusters of slender, dark green leaves are covered with ringlets of small, violet-red flowers over a long period from summer to fall.

The plant can grow to a height of 15 inches. Although it is part of the oregano family and the leaves are fragrant, this variety is rarely used in cooking.

field full of grass and some blossoming lilacs

Sedum ‘Matrona’ (Stonecrop)

Sedum is a herbaceous perennial genus with fleshy, flat, or spherical leaves that vary in shape, depending on the species. The plant stands tall and spreads out across the ground.

Stonecrop is a lovely pink-flowered shrub with gray-green leaves and purple veins and stems. It’s a beautiful, drought-resistant plant.

It offers interest throughout early summer, with a cluster of pink flowers on top of ruby-colored stalks and purple leaves that become bronze in the winter.

Salvia nemorosa ‘Amethyst’ (Sage)

This sage is a lovely perennial that will bloom for months, showing sleek, compact flower spikes. It has masses of lovely lilac, lavender, pink, or blue flowers and reaches a height of 18 inches in the summer.

Its bushy, distinctive shape adds to the balance and structure of a border when contrasted with more rounded and mounding plants, like Atlas fescue.

It looks great in a Mediterranean garden and can survive coastal conditions.

bush of salvia grass and flowers in the garden

Geranium ‘Patricia’ (Cranesbill) 

Cranesbill, sometimes known as hardy geranium, is a perennial border plant with pink, purple, and blue saucer-shaped flowers. It is popular in cottage garden settings since it supplies pollen and nectar to a variety of pollinators, particularly bees.

Its flowers are stunning pink with black centers, looking over a low-growing mound of dark green foliage. The leaves turn bright red in the fall.

Cranesbill is a favorite because of its remarkable mounding habit and late spring to summer bloom season. The gorgeous foliage complements the flowers beautifully.

Jeffrey Douglas
Jeffrey Douglas own a landscaping company and has been in the business for over 20 years. He loves all things related to lawns or gardens and believes that proper maintenance is the key to preventing problems in the first place.
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