sheep fescue

Sheep fescue (Festuca ovina) is a hardy, fine-foliaged grass widely used for pasture. It belongs to the large genus Festuca, which comprises grasses native to temperate and cold regions of both hemispheres.12

Fescues can be annuals or perennials, typically growing in clumps. Some species spread via stolons or rhizomes. The genus is broadly categorized into "fine-leaved" types with needle-like leaves and "broad-leaved" types with straplike leaves. The flowers are wind-pollinated and borne on tall, branching panicles that produce feathery seed heads.2

Sheep fescue, specifically, grows in dense tufts and thrives in dry or sandy soil, often found on mountainsides. Other notable fescues include blue fescue (F. glauca), known for its silvery leaves and use in ornamental borders, and red fescue (F. rubra), common in lawn grass mixtures. Meadow fescue and tall fescue are important fodder and pasture grasses that have become widespread in North America.2