CREEPING RED FESCUE (FINE FESCUE)

Red Fescue is widely planted for turfgrass in the transition and Northern cool season areas. Red Fescue is often referred to as "Creeping Red" and is a fine bladed grass with medium to dark green color. It is established from seed easily, though not quite as fast as ryegrass.  

While it persists in cool season climates, it is not as cold tolerant as Kentucky Bluegrass or Creeping Bentgrass. Its major use is for dry shaded areas as either a pure stand or as a mixture in other turf blends such as Bluegrasses, creeping bentgrasses and Perennial Ryegrasses. Even though it is one of the best grasses for use in shade... it still prefers and does well in full sun conditions. Red Fescue is used extensively in all types of turf areas including parks, roadsides, lawns, fairways, cemeteries, airfields, and other turf areas.

Creeping Red Fescue is also used to overseed warm-season turfs such as Bermudagrass. It grows best in well drained sites and in droughty, infertile soils. It does not tolerate wet soils or high fertilization rates, including highly fertile soils. -- Lustrous, Pernille, Evergreen, & Boreal are the more common varieties.

For the common Creeping Red we generally sell the Boreal, Evergreen, Lustrous or Pernille variety. Two different distinct types of creeping red fescue exist - Rubra and Trichophylla. The rubra is called a "strong creeping" type with 56 chromosomes compared to 42 in the other type. Lustrous Creeping Red Fescue is an exceptionally shade tolerant, low growing, fine textured turf with a dark green color. While Wendy Jean Creeping Red Fescue has a fine texture with broader flat leaves and a persistent growth nature due to it's rhizome root system.

Its ability to survive lower light intensities makes Creeping Red one of the turf specialists best tools!