Festuca arundinacea

Lolium arundinaceum; Schedonorus arundinaceus; English: alata fescue, alta descue, reed fescue, tall fescue, coarse fescue, meadow fescue, tall ryegrass, Kentucky fescue; Chinese (transcribed): wei zhuang yang mao; French: fétuque élevée, fétuque faux roseau, fétuque roseau; German: Rohrschwingel; Italian: festuca alta; Japanese (transcribed): oniushinokegusa; Dutch: rietzwenkgras; Polish: kostrzewa trzcinowa; Portuguese: erva-corneira; Russian (transcribed): ovsyanitsa trostnikovaya; Spanish: cañuela alta, festuca canosa, zacate fescua; Swedish: roersvingel

Description: evergreen perennial

Place of origin: Europe

Urban habitat: commonly found on roadsides, vacant lots, urban meadows, in compacted soil; drought tolerant, tolerant of road salt, can thrive in full sun or shade.

Ecological function: disturbance-adapted colonizer of bare ground; erosion control on slopes; soil conservation; food for livestock; contains an endophytic, which in increases its tolerance of environmental stress and gives it a competitive advantage.

History: Festuca arundinacea was introduced into North America in the mid-1800’s as a pasture grass. It is a commonly planted grass on football fields and golf courses, and is a common ingredient in drought-tolerant lawn seed mixes. Many cultivars of this species have been created for agricultural use. It is found throughout the US and parts of Canada and is considered a noxious weed in California.