Bearskin fescue

Bearskin fescue: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, dense, rounded cushion 10–15 cm tall and about 30 cm across.

Leaves

Stiff and needle-fine, bright green; they stay on all year.

Flowers

In June–July, loose yellowish-green little panicles on thin stems just above the cushion; later straw-coloured.

Roots

Fine, fibrous roots without runners; the cushion widens slowly.

Flowering: June–July · Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: March and August

Why grow it?

• Bright green cushions all year: fresh colour, even in winter.
• Low and compact: ideal as an edging along paths, between stones and in rock gardens.
• Drought-tolerant once established.
• Copes with both sun and partial shade.
• Little work: no cutting back needed.

Bearskin fescue: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; in deep shade the cushion becomes loose and thin.
• Well-drained sandy or loamy soil, neutral to chalky; it feels at home between stones and in gravel.
• Dry to normally moist soil; wet roots, especially in winter, make it rot.
• Plant 20–25 cm apart for a continuous edging.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.15 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Houseleek: Succulent rosettes for the same dry nooks between stones.
• Saxifrage: Low cushions that flower in spring, for the rock garden.
• Thyme: A low, fragrant ground cover next to the green cushions.
• Thrift: Pink pompons above grassy tufts, also for dry, sunny spots.
• Blue fescue: Blue-grey tufts as a colour contrast with the bright green.

Bearskin fescue: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

1. Plant from March to May or in September–October.
2. Mix coarse sand or fine gravel into heavy soil, or plant in a raised bed or between stones.
3. Set the cushion at the same depth as it was in the pot, no deeper: the crown must not sit in wet soil.
4. Space plants 20–25 cm apart for a continuous edging.
5. Water in well and water in dry spells for the first few weeks.
6. If you like, mulch with gravel around the base.

Care

Water

Only until it is established, and in pots; after that hardly needed.

Feeding

Not needed: on poor soil the cushion stays densest.

Tidying

In March, pick dead brown leaves out of the cushion with gloved fingers.

Flower stems

Cut off the spent stems in August if you want a neat cushion.

Rejuvenating

Divide an old cushion that goes bare in the middle in spring.

Tip: Plant it between stones or in gravel, where water drains away quickly: the cushions stay dense and bright green and you avoid rotten patches.

Bearskin fescue: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and August.

When: Evergreen and hardly pruned. In March you clear out dead leaves; in August you can cut off the spent flower stems.

How:

• In March, gently pick or comb dead leaves out of the cushion.
• Cut the spent flower stems off just above the cushion.
• Do not cut back the green cushion itself: it recovers slowly.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April or September: lift the cushion, pull or cut it into small pieces with roots and replant them at once.

Seed

Possible in spring in small pots, but slow. Division is quicker and gives plants identical to the parent.

Bearskin fescue: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −25 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• Wet soil in winter is more dangerous than frost: make sure drainage is good.
• The cushion stays green and gives colour to the winter garden.
• In a pot or trough: keep it out of the rain and keep the soil fairly dry in winter.

Diseases and pests

• Brown patches: Dead patches in the cushion, often after a wet winter or a long drought in a pot. Pick out the dead parts; with large patches, divide the plant and replant the healthy pieces.
• Rot: The cushion turns limp and brown from the base. Cause: wet, heavy soil. Replant in a free-draining spot with gravel.
• Loose, open cushion: Too little light or soil that is too rich. More sun, no fertiliser.

Through the year

• March: Comb out dead leaves. Plant or divide.
• April: Plant or divide.
• May: Plant. Water young plants in dry spells.
• June: Flowering: yellowish-green little panicles.
• July: Flowering. Water pots in dry spells.
• August: Cut off spent flower stems.
• September: Plant or divide.
• October: Plant.
• December: Green cushions in the winter garden.

Did you know?

• It is also known as Festuca scoparia; ‘scoparia’ comes from the Latin scopa, ‘broom’, a reference to the stiff leaves.
• The compact variety ‘Pic Carlit’ is named after a mountain in the Pyrenees.
• The name bearskin fescue refers to the dense cushions, which look like a bear’s fur.