California Fescue
Festuca californica
Summary
When visiting our trials field, Ellen Zagory, public horticulture director for the UCD Arboretum, remarked that our specimens were the best looking she had ever seen. Its first year in the ground it was the victim of some rabbit damage during the winter, but once the holes in the fence were patched up, most plants recovered well. This California native grass really performed beautifully in 50% shade, producing well-formed plants with good flowering and an attractive overall appearance even on the lowest irrigation treatment of 20% (no summer water). The 60 and 80% irrigation treatments unsurprisingly yielded the largest plants, with the 60% rate being favored somewhat throughout the season. However, if the overall appearance ratings are averaged for just the months of irrigation (rather than the entire year), the highest ratings are the 20 and 40% treatments! So, at least for this species, bigger is not necessarily better.
The master gardeners did not evaluate this species.
Basic Info
| Submitted by: | UC Davis Arboretum |
| Trial Exposure: | 50% Shade |
| Year evaluated: | 2013 |
|
Height & Width
(after 2 years):
|
22" x 35" - UC Davis
|
|
Reported Height & Width
(at maturity):
|
1-4' x 3' |
| WUCOLS plant type: | G N A |
| Water Needs & WUCOLS Region: |
Low - Region 2
|
|
Mean Overall
Appearance rating:
(1-5 Scale, 5 is highest)
|
3.7 - UC Davis
|
|
Flowering Months
|
March-October - UC Davis
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Growth and Quality Data
Click Here for Complete Data Set
