
Fescue, Tall
[Festuca arundinacea Schreb.]
Tall fescue is the most widely grown cool-season species in North Carolina. For a cool-season species, tall fescue is tolerant to heat and drought, disease resistant, and persists with minimum care. It has a tendency to clump due to its bunch-type growth habit and may need to be re-seeded each year in areas that exhibit thin growth patterns due to excessive summer stresses. Tall fescue is easily confused with Kentucky bluegrass, annual ryegrass, and perennial ryegrass. However, Kentucky bluegrass has a boat-shaped leaf tip and distinctive light-colored lines on both sides of the midrib. Tall fescue has rolled vernation in the leaf bud and perennial ryegrass has folded vernation. Also, tall fescue has rough leaf blade margins whereas annual and perennial ryegrass have smooth ones. Tall fescue and perennial ryegrass both have non-clasping auricles, whereas annual ryegrass has clasping auricles. The backside of the tall fescue leaf blade is less glossy than that of annual ryegrass.

| COMMON BERMUDAGRASS |
| Common is used for erosion control, lawns, roadsides, general purpose pastures and many other uses. Adapted for a wide range of soil types from sandy to clay soils. Best adapted to the lower 1/3 of the US on well drained sites. Very drought tolerant but still can stand flooding for short periods. Used for both roadside erosion control, lawns, athletic fields and pastures. |