Festuca arundinacea (tall fescue)

Festuca arundinacea

Photo courtesy Joseph DiTomaso

Festuca arundinacea (tall fescue) is a perennial grass with coarse foliage (family Poaceae) found throughout California except in the Great Basin and deserts. It favors sites with heavy soil, including grassland, coastal scrub, roadsides, ditches and other disturbed sites. Tall fescue is commonly planted for turf and hay or erosion control, but it has escaped cultivation and invaded wild areas. After tall fescue plants die, their leaves fall to the ground and create a thick thatch which prevents native plant seeds from germinating.

Cal-IPC Inventory rating: Moderate

Cal-IPC Resources on Festuca arundinacea

• California Invasive Plant Inventory Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
• CalWeedMapper - Statewide maps, climate models, and reports.
• Cal-IPC News - Articles from our quarterly newsletter. Each issue is available as a pdf. List of articles on Festuca arundinacea.
• Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings - Presentations and papers from our annual Symposium.List of articles on Festuca arundinacea.

Cal-IPC News Articles

• Corbin, J. D., M. Thomsen, et al. (2004). Out of the frying pan: invasion of exotic perennial grasses in coastal prairies, Cal-IPC.
• Gibson, J. and W. Bunn (2006). Factors that control non-native plant species within shaded fuelbreaks at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Cal-IPC Symposium, Rohnert Park, CA, California Invasive Plant Council.

Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings

• Thomas, D. (2009). Active and passive restoration of fountain thistle habitat following jubatagrass removal. Cal-IPC Symposium 2009. Visalia, CA, California Invasive Plant Council.
• Antonio, C. D. and J. Gerlach (2003). Annual grasses: Status of biology and control. California Invasive Plant Council Symposium 2003. Kings Beach, CA.
• Clines, J., J. DiTomaso, et al. (2004). Grasses working group. California Invasive Plant Council Symposium 2004. Ventura, California, CA.
• Corbin, J. D., M. Thomsen, et al. (2004). Out of the frying pan: Invasion of exotic perennial grasses in coastal prairies. California Invasive Plant Council Symposium 2004. Ventura, CA.
• Thomsen, C. D., W. A. Williams, et al. (1996). Yellow starthistle management with grazing, mowing, and competitive plantings. California Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium '96. San Diego, CA.

Other Resources on Festuca arundinacea

• USDA PLANTS database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
• Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora - Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from the UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium.
• CalFlora - Distribution information by county based on submitted observations and herbarium specimens.
• The Nature Conservancy Management Summary - Information compiled by TNC land managers. Photos included for some species.
• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.

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