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| Category: Grass |
| Family: Poaceae (Gramineae) (Grasses) |
| Origin: Africa, North (Africa) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: White |
| Bloomtime: Summer |
| Synonyms: [F. mairei 'Greenlee's Form'] |
| Height: 2-3 feet |
| Width: 2-3 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: < 0 °F |
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Festuca mairei (Atlas Fescue) - A long-lived evergreen clumping grass that forms fountain-like mounds to 18 to 24 inches tall and wide with yellowish gray-green foliage. Plant in full sun or part shade in a well-drained soil with occasional to regular irrigation - this plant is fairly drought tolerant when established but looks better (with fewer brown tips with occasional water) when watered regularly. It is quite cold hardy as a dormant grass (USDA Zone 4) and stays evergreen in warmer climates. It is tolerant of diverse soil types and does not need to be cut back, but benefits from a spring raking to remove older foliage. It is a great looking and dependable grass for slopes or for the natural meadow look. This selection made by John Greenlee is shorter and less likely to bloom than seed grown plants. John Greenlee in "The American Meadow Garden" says of this grass "This clumping grass, native to the Mediterranean, is one of the best groundcovers for large areas." This giant among the Fescues is native to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and into Algeria. It was named for René Charles Joseph Ernest Maire (1878-1949) a French botanist and professor of botany in Algiers who collected plants for study in Algeria and Morocco between 1902 and 1904 and is most famous for "Flore de l'Afrique du Nord" (The Flora of North Africa), a 16-volume work published posthumously in 1953.
The information about Festuca mairei that is displayed on this web page is based on research conducted in our nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We will also include observations made about this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We also incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they share cultural information that aids others growing this plant.
Please note that after 46 years in business, San Marcos Growers will be discontinuing nursery operations by the end of 2025 and the property will be developed for affordable housing.
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