Festuca gautieri
Bear's fur grass
Common names: Bear's fur fescue
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 5 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Jun–Jul
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −25 °C
- Water need
- Low
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Festuca gautieri, known in German as Bärenfellgras, grows wild on scree slopes and in rocky lean grasslands of the Pyrenees in southwestern France and northeastern Spain. Its bristly fine stems grow so densely that the tufts resemble a piece of fur. They remain green year-round and reach only 10 to 15 cm in height and 20 to 30 cm in width. In June and July, greenish flower panicles appear, later turning yellow, which rise slightly above the tuft. The cultivar 'Pic Carlit' is most commonly found in trade and remains especially compact. The grass suits rock gardens, dry stone walls, troughs and containers, gravel beds, and as an edging along sunny paths. It is hardy and needs little care as long as the soil is lean and water drains well.
Care instructions
Plant bear's fur grass in spring or September in a full-sun location with lean, well-drained soil. Set the tufts flat, so the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. In the first year, water during dry spells; afterwards, rainfall is usually enough. In containers, water once the top layer of soil has dried out. Fertilizer is not needed. This grass does not require pruning: in spring, comb dead stems out of the tuft with your fingers, and cut off spent panicles if you dislike them. Typical mistakes are waterlogging, rich soil, and too much shade, which cause the tuft to become loose and rot. Divide it every two to three years to keep it fresh and dense.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–May, Sep
FloweringJun–Jul
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 5 °C, ideally 15 °C
- Days to sprout
- 14 to 35 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
lean, well-drained, sandy, dry
Bear skin fescue thrives on lean, well-drained soil that may dry out now and then in summer. Sandy, stony soil with gravel or grit is ideal, such as rock gardens, dry-stone walls and gravel beds provide. Lime is no problem; the pH may range from slightly acidic to alkaline. Waterlogging is its greatest enemy: on heavy soils, mix in plenty of sand and grit and plant on a small mound or on a slope so that water can drain away.
Feeding
Light feeder
Bear skin fescue needs no fertiliser. On nutrient-poor, stony soil the clumps stay dense and compact; with too much food they turn loose and fall apart. In a container, replace part of the soil with a fresh, sandy mix in spring every few years.
Overwintering
Bear skin fescue is hardy and stays green in winter too. In the bed you do not need to do anything. Wet is more dangerous than frost: make sure that water drains away and that the clump does not sit in a hollow. In a container, stand the pot on feet against a sheltered house wall, ideally under an overhang, and in winter water only on frost-free days and only a little.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- From seed
The surest way to propagate bear skin fescue is by division. Every two to three years, dig up the clump in spring or early autumn, divide it into hand-sized pieces and replant them shallowly; this keeps the clumps dense and fresh. Sowing is also possible: from March to May or in September, scatter the fine seeds on lean, sandy soil in pots, press them down only lightly and keep them evenly moist until they germinate after a few weeks. Varieties such as ‘Pic Carlit’ are better divided so that they stay true to type.
For your garden
Grow Bear's fur grass yourself
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