Selection of Fescues for Golf Courses
For natural areas selection should be made from the following species:
Common
Scientific Name
Characteristics / Growth Habit
Adaptive Range
English Name
Hard Fescue
Festuca longifolia Seed takes 7-10 days to germinate with adequate Throughout the Transition
water. 230,000 seeds per kilogram. Seed at 18 – Zones into northern temperate
25 grams / M2. Hard Fescue has a ‘bunch’ type of climates. More tolerant of
growth with no tillering. Folded in the bud,
fertilizers and moisture than
membraneous, distinct ligule and no auricles.
Sheep Fescue. Adapts to low
Leaves grow semi-erect. A dark green color
maintenance, shade and dry
sometimes grayish. Narrow leaves, but not as
areas. Low traffic tolerance.
narrow as Sheep Fescue. Poor recovery from
Stressed by heat.
mechanical damage. DO NOT mow lower than 10
– 15 cm in natural areas and never remove more
than 33% of leaf height.
Sheep’s Fescue
Some Improved
Varieties / Cultivars
SR 3000
Reliant II
Valda
Bighorn GT
Soil
Guard
Aurora Gold
Gotham
Silvana
Scaldis
Discovery
Azay
Biljart
Tournament
Waldina
Marco Polo
Seed takes 7-10 days to germinate with adequate Throughout the Transition
water. 230,000 seeds per kilogram. Seed at 18 – Zones into northern temperate Quatro
Reneva
25 grams / M2. Sheep’s Fescue has a ‘bunch’ type climates. Less tolerant of
Barok
of growth with no tillering. Folded in the bud,
fertilizers and moisture than
membraneous, short ligule. Leaves grow erect and Hard Fescue. Adapts to low
very stiff. A gray / blue-green color. Needle-like maintenance, shade and dry
leaves. Slow recovery from mechanical damage. areas. Low traffic tolerance.
DO NOT mow lower than 10 – 15 cm in natural Stressed by heat. Does well in
areas and never remove more than 33% of leaf
low fertility, sandy, gravel,
height.
poor soils. Does best in lower
sunlight, northern slopes
where gets best density.
SR 5000
Chewings Fescue Festuca rubra
Seed takes 7-10 days to germinate with adequate Throughout the Transition
sbsp. Commutata water. 210,000 seeds per kilogram. Seed at 18 – Zones into northern temperate SR 5100
Longfellow
25 grams / M2. Chewings Fescue has a ‘bunch’
climates. Fairly tolerant of
Enchantment
type of growth with some tillering. Folded in the fertilizers. Adapts to low
King James
bud, membraneous ligule and redish colored lower maintenance, shade and dry Treazure II
sheath. Leaves grow semi-erect. A green color. areas. Stressed by heat. Does Intriguem2
Fine leaves. Poor recovery from mechanical
well in low fertility soils.
Zodiac
damage. DO NOT mow lower than 10 – 15 cm in Does best in lower sunlight for Radar
Fairmont
natural areas and never remove more than 33% of best density.
PSG 50C3
leaf height.
Festuca ovina
Lacrosse
Agram
Highlight
Koket
Wrigley 2
Cascade
PST-4CSD
J-5
Intrigue
Shadow II
Tiffany
Jamestown II
Waldorf
Magic
Brittany
Ambassador
Banner II
Bridgeport
PST-4HM
Pick FRC A93
ACF 083
ACF 092
ABT-CHW 1, 2, 3
Red Fescue
Festuca rubra
sbsp. Littoralis
No readily available
Seed takes 7-10 days to germinate with adequate Throughout the Transition
water. 210,000 seeds per kilogram. Seed at 18 – Zones into northern temperate improved commercial
cultivars.
25 grams / M2. Red Fescue has a ‘bunch’ type of climates. Fairly tolerant of
growth with some tillering. Folded in the bud,
fertilizers. Adapts to low
membraneous and redish colored lower sheath.
maintenance, shade and dry
Leaves grow erect and very stiff. A green color. areas, but does best in full
Fine leaves. Will slowly recover from moderate sunlight. Stressed by heat.
mechanical damage. DO NOT mow lower than 10 Does well in fair fertility soils.
– 15 cm in natural areas and never remove more
than 33% of leaf height.
Creeping Red
Fescue
Festuca rubra
Seed takes 7-10 days to germinate with adequate Throughout the Transition
water. 210,000 seeds per kilogram. Seed at 18 – Zones into northern temperate
25 grams / M2. Creeping Red Fescue has a ‘bunch’ climates. Fairly tolerant of
type of growth with considerable tillering -- dense. fertilizers. Adapts to low
Folded in the bud, membraneous and redish
maintenance, shade and dry
colored lower sheath. Leaves grow erect and very areas, but does best in full
stiff. A green color. Fine leaves. Will slowly
sunlight. Stressed by heat.
recover from moderate mechanical damage. DO Does well in fair fertility soils.
NOT mow lower than 10 – 15 cm in natural areas
and never remove more than 33% of leaf height.
Idaho Fescue /
Blue Bunch
Fescue
Siskiyou Blue
Festuca idahoensis Seed takes 7-10 days to germinate with adequate Throughout the Transition
water. 230,000 seeds per kilogram. Seed at 18 – Zones into northern temperate Oregonia
25 grams / M2. Sheep Fescue has a ‘bunch’ type of climates. Coastal to high
growth with considerable tillering -- dense.
elevations. Low fertility soils.
Folded in the bud, membraneous and redish
Adapts to low maintenance,
colored lower sheath. Leaves grow erect and very shade and dry areas, but does
stiff. A bluish green color. Fine leaves. Will
best in full sunlight. Stressed
slowly recover from moderate mechanical
by heat.
damage. DO NOT mow lower than 10 – 15 cm in This species is used in range
natural areas and never remove more than 33% of land management for grazing.
leaf height.
Blue / Gray
Fescue
Festuca glauca
Seed takes 7-10 days to germinate with adequate Throughout the Transition
water. 230,000 seeds per kilogram. Seed at 18 – Zones into northern temperate
25 grams / M2. Blue Fescue has a ‘tufted’ type of climates. Coastal to high
growth with some tillering – it can spread as far as elevations. Low fertility soils.
0.5 meter in 2-5 years. Folded in the bud,
Adapts to low maintenance,
membraneous and redish colored lower sheath.
shade and dry areas, but does
Leaves grow erect and stiff. A blue to gray color – best in full sunlight. Needs
light or bleached green in summer. Fine leaves. well drained soil and can take
Will very slowly recover from light mechanical moisture.
damage. DO NOT mow lower than 10 – 15 cm in
natural areas and never remove more than 33% of
leaf height.
Ice Fescue
Festuca glacialis
No readily available
Seed takes 7-10 days to germinate with adequate Throughout the Transition
improved commercial
water. 210,000 seeds per kilogram. Seed at 18 – Zones into cold northern
25 grams / M2. Ice Fescue has a ‘tufted’ type of temperate climates. Coastal to cultivars.
growth with some tillering – it can spread as far as high elevations. Low fertility
0.5 meter. Folded in the bud, membraneous and soils. Adapts to low
redish colored lower sheath. Leaves grow erect maintenance, shade and dry
and stiff. A blue to gray color – green in summer. areas, but does best in partial
Fine leaves. Will slowly recover from moderate sunlight – northern exposures.
mechanical damage. DO NOT mow lower than 10 Low tolerance to heat. Needs
– 15 cm in natural areas and never remove more well drained soil and can take
than 33% of leaf height.
moisture.
Shademaster III
Seabreeze GT
Florentine GT
Boreal
Navigator II
Epic
IS-FRR-51
IS-FRR-62
Aberdeen
PSG-5RM
Path Finder
Shade Mark
Salsa
Dawson E+
Kent
Independeze
Flyer
Ensylva
Pennlawn
Ruby
Blaufink
Blaufuchs
Daemling
Elijah Blue
Harz
Seeigel
Soehrenwald
Solling
SR3200
Minotaur (HardXBlue)
PST4MB (HardXBlue)