Blue Sheep’s Fescue to the Rescue
Want to get spring and late-winter sales off to a good start? Cool season blue beauty Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' to the rescue!
Read PostAh, blue. It’s often described as peaceful, tranquil, and calm. It evokes the big blue sky and the deep blue sea. Blue-toned foliage in the landscape adds interest to the space and wakes up a garden. Here are a few options to add cool tones to your next project.
Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ is a popular selection that’s renowned for its blue foliage. It has a fun, spiky habit that grows in a tight clump, less than a foot tall. A cool season grower, Blue Sheep’s Fescue maintains its color throughout the winter months but slows down in the summer when temperatures climb. It looks its best in Northern climates, but can look good in the South with afternoon shade and well-drained soil.
Helictotrichon sempervirens ‘Sapphire’ is a standout, cool season grass with bright blue foliage. It produces graceful, neat, two-foot clumps that create a rounded, sculpted look in the landscape. Long, graceful stems emerge in late spring topped with tan, oat-like seed heads. While we have seen occasional blooms here in central North Carolina, they are most abundant in cooler climates. Blue Oat Grass prefers full sun and well-drained locations.
Striking blue-green foliage and well-behaved spreading make Carex flacca ‘Blue Zinger’ a ground cover favorite. It features narrow grass-like foliage that grows in 8-10 inch clumps, but will spread slowly to form a bluish mat. Blue Zinger adapts to varied soil conditions and is drought tolerant once established. It holds its blue coloring through the winter in milder climates. It can take full sun and partial shade and works best in well-drained soil.
All three of these selections are beautiful in masses as well as in mixed plantings. We also think they make great additions to containers.
Carex flacca ‘Blue Zinger’ and Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ are both currently available. Helictotrichon sempervirens ‘Sapphire’ will be available in a few weeks. This is great timing for our cooler-climate customers. Pot up liners into larger sizes, and they’ll be big, blue, and beautiful for spring and summer sales. Reserve your liners now to ensure you’re covered!
