Native Red Fescue Seeds (Festuca rubra)

Native to most of North America, red fescue is a cool-season perennial, meaning it tends to go dormant in the heat of summer. While there are also non-native subspecies of this plant (such as European types) our native version is a slightly bunch forming grass (as opposed to creeping) which makes it a good companion for wildflowers since it tends to leave openings in a sward for some of those wildflowers to establish and persist. Generally, red fescue is widely adapted to many different soils, however it definitely prefers cooler (rather than hotter) locations, rich soils, and sites that are neither completely wet, nor completely parched and dry. It can even tolerate partial shade. All of that said, it can show up in surprising places that are as diverse as salt marshes and tundra. As grasses go, it is also somewhat shorter in stature, typically not growing more than around 18 inches in maximum height, and it has a good tolerance for mowing, animal browsing, and occasional foot traffic