Festuca californica, California Fescue

California fescue is often found growing in large masses in openings in evergreen woodland. Part of the beauty of this plant is the way the fountainlike, mounding plants space themselves in nature, staggered in an orderly pattern down banks and slopes. Based on the ultimate width of this species, each plant should be at least 18" to 24" from the others. Broadcasting this seed directly into the ground will therefore lead to an inevitable amount of waste.

Sowing the seed in flats, transplanting it to pots, and from there to the garden is a good strategy. They can then be spaced correctly, on 2 ft. centers, quickly becoming a handsome planting, holding the soil with their large fibrous roots, and with their large size, resistant to weeds.