Sheep Fescue

Sheep fescue (*Festuca ovina*) is a cool-season bunchgrass that forms a dense, finely textured tuft. Its compact clumps suit dry borders, rock gardens, and open slopes where low ground cover can help hold soil. The [USDA NRCS plant guide](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/idpmspg9624.pdf) describes it as a variable species with good cold tolerance and useful cover for dry sites. ## Form and Season The narrow basal leaves are typically 4–8 inches long, while flowering stems rise above them; whole plants are generally under 12 inches tall. The plant grows as a clump rather than a spreading rhizomatous turf, giving gravel gardens and prairie-style edges a tidy, textured outline. ## Siting Sheep fescue tolerates a range of exposures and soils, with strong performance in silt or sandy loam and on shallow, dry, gravelly ground. It has good drought tolerance and moderate shade tolerance, but does not suit sites with high water tables or regular flooding. ## Maintenance Use it for low-maintenance ground cover or reclamation on open slopes. During establishment, shallow seeding, mulch, and supplemental irrigation can help seedlings take hold; a mature stand needs little routine attention.