Festuca
fescue
14 species
5 subspecies and varieties
5 subspecies and varieties
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Festuca brachyphylla – alpine fescue
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, and northeastern North America; circumboreal.
Habitat: Open rocky places in the alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, and northeastern North America; circumboreal.
Habitat: Open rocky places in the alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. brachyphylla – alpine fescue
• ssp. coloradensis – Colorado alpine fescue
Festuca campestris – prairie fescue
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Idaho, Montana, and the northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Upland prairies, montane and subalpine grasslands.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Idaho, Montana, and the northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Upland prairies, montane and subalpine grasslands.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Festuca filiformis – fine-leaf sheep fescue
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to Oregon; also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Sand dunes, quarries, roadsides, lawns.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to Oregon; also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Sand dunes, quarries, roadsides, lawns.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Festuca idahoensis – bluebunch fescue, Idaho fescue
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Grasslands and sagebrush desert to dry mountain slopes, occasionally to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Grasslands and sagebrush desert to dry mountain slopes, occasionally to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Festuca occidentalis – western fescue
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to southwestern Alberta and Wyoming; disjunct in the Great Lakes area.
Habitat: Forest understory, edges, and openings to rocky slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to southwestern Alberta and Wyoming; disjunct in the Great Lakes area.
Habitat: Forest understory, edges, and openings to rocky slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Festuca roemeri – Roemer's fescue
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Meadows, grasslands, balds and forest openings mostly at low elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Meadows, grasslands, balds and forest openings mostly at low elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. roemeri – Roemer's fescue
Festuca rubra – sand fescue
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast; circumboreal.
Habitat: Grasslands, balds, coastal bluffs, fields, meadows, and roadsides.
Origin: Both native and introduced
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast; circumboreal.
Habitat: Grasslands, balds, coastal bluffs, fields, meadows, and roadsides.
Origin: Both native and introduced
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Festuca saximontana – Rocky Mountain fescue
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America, also in Far East Russia.
Habitat: Montane and subalpine meadows and open forest.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America, also in Far East Russia.
Habitat: Montane and subalpine meadows and open forest.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. purpusiana – Rocky Mountain fescue
Festuca subulata – bearded fescue
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the northern Great Plains and Colorado.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the northern Great Plains and Colorado.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Festuca subuliflora – crinkle-awn fescue
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Shady sites in dry to moist, lowland to montane forest.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Shady sites in dry to moist, lowland to montane forest.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Festuca trachyphylla – hard fescue
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across much of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across much of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Festuca valesiaca – Valais fescue
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho.
Habitat: Roadsides, pastures, and grasslands.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho.
Habitat: Roadsides, pastures, and grasslands.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Festuca viridula – green-leaf fescue
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Alberta and Montana.
Habitat: Subalpine slopes, rock slides, and meadows to well above timberline.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Alberta and Montana.
Habitat: Subalpine slopes, rock slides, and meadows to well above timberline.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Festuca washingtonica – Washington fescue
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Southern British Columbia Washington.
Habitat: Well-drained slopes in sagebrush and open pine forest.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Southern British Columbia Washington.
Habitat: Well-drained slopes in sagebrush and open pine forest.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
