Festuca amethystina 'Superba' - Purple Tufted Fescue

At a glance it is easy to mistake F. amethystina ' Superba' for F. glacua 'Select'. The colour of the foliage is quite similar, but side by side 'Superba' is a bit taller. However when looking at these two at blooming time the difference is dramatic and you can easily see that the flowers and stems of F. 'Superba' are much taller and are the colour of amethyst.

There are many so fescues in the nursery trade, some with only slight variation between them, that it would be interesting to collect them all together in a dry landscape...sort of like having siblings at a family reunion.

Description: cool season; clump forming
Foliage is bright blue in colour; narrow blade width; 20-30 cm (8-12") tall;
Flowers in June; 30-60 cm (12-24") in height; flowers have purple stems

Ideal conditions: full sun to part shade; well-drained loamy soil; heat and drought tolerant

Coldest zone: 4, possibly colder (find your zone; further info on plant hardiness)

Partner with: purple-leaved plants; Koeleria glauca, Sesleria caerulea, Salix elaeagnos 'Angustifolia', Valeriana officianalis, Allium sphaerocephalus

Season of interest: particularly in June

Suggested uses: specimen, container, sunny border

Recommended plant spacing: 40-60 cm (16-24") why such a difference?

Drought tolerance rating: 2 (water to root depth once every 2 weeks); further info

Native to: central Europe

Pronounciation: Festuca (fes-TOO-kah) amethystina (am-ih-thes-TEEN-ah)

More ornamental grasses

Compare Festuca amethystina 'Superba' to our other grasses in this handy chart.