Tall Fescue
Grasses
Tall Fescue
Festuca arundinacea Schreb.
Longevity: Perennial
Palatability: Medium
Winter Hardiness: Fair
Growth Habit: Bunchgrass with tendency to form tight sod
Drought Tolerance: Fair
Cool or Warm Season: Cool
Use and Comments: High-yielding, cool season pasture (include legume with mixture), hay, soil conservation; AY-98 and AY-258
Distribution in U.S.: Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast
Height: 24-48 inches
Inflorescence: Open panicle; 5 to 9 florets per spikelet
Culm: Round
Leaves: Dull upper surface; shiny underside; veins distinct; auricles usually blunt and hairy; low ligule; cross section of leaf blade flat
Drainage: Somewhat Poorly Drained
Fertility: Medium
pH: 5.4-6.2
Color: Tannish-brown
Shape: Oblong; rachilla slender, round, and knobbed
Other Characteristics: Lemma nerves are inconspicuous on dry seed
Pounds per Bushel: 22
Seeds per Pound: 227,000
Seeding Rate: 15 pounds PLS per acre
Seeding Date (Indiana): Mar 1 - May 1 or Aug 1 - Sept 1
Emergence Time (Days): 14
Optimum Germ. Temp. (F): 60°-85°
Longevity: Perennial
Palatability: Medium
Winter Hardiness: Fair
Growth Habit: Bunchgrass with tendency to form tight sod
Drought Tolerance: Fair
Cool or Warm Season: Cool
Use and Comments: High-yielding, cool season pasture (include legume with mixture), hay, soil conservation; AY-98 and AY-258
Distribution in U.S.: Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast
Height: 24-48 inches
Inflorescence: Open panicle; 5 to 9 florets per spikelet
Culm: Round
Leaves: Dull upper surface; shiny underside; veins distinct; auricles usually blunt and hairy; low ligule; cross section of leaf blade flat
Drainage: Somewhat Poorly Drained
Fertility: Medium
pH: 5.4-6.2
Color: Tannish-brown
Shape: Oblong; rachilla slender, round, and knobbed
Other Characteristics: Lemma nerves are inconspicuous on dry seed
Pounds per Bushel: 22
Seeds per Pound: 227,000
Seeding Rate: 15 pounds PLS per acre
Seeding Date (Indiana): Mar 1 - May 1 or Aug 1 - Sept 1
Emergence Time (Days): 14
Optimum Germ. Temp. (F): 60°-85°
