Festuca gautieri

The Festuca gautieri, also known as Gautier's fescue, is an adorable small perennial grass that forms beautiful little cushions, very green. It presents itself as a tufted and carpeting clump with a slightly bristly habit, with a lovely spring green color that turns emerald green in summer. Its green spikes bloom above the foliage in the second half of spring, before turning golden, adding a subtly bright touch to the plant. This species, adapted to poor soils, is very hardy and very drought-tolerant. A small, original plant that is perfect for difficult areas, beautiful as ground cover, edging, or at the front of borders.

Festuca gautieri, also known as Festuca scoparia or bear's hair fescue, is a small herb of the grass family commonly found in France, particularly in the Pyrenees, where it grows in poor, acidic soils as well as rocky soils. It is a pretty plant with a dense cushion habit, slowly colonizing the ground through its short rhizomes. This herbaceous perennial has a short lifespan, like many fescues. When fully grown, it reaches a height of 15 cm (6in), with a width of 25 cm (10in), and has a fairly rapid growth rate. Its cylindrical leaves are very finely textured and evergreen. They measure 0.4 to 0.7 mm (1in) in diameter, with a stiff appearance and a prickly touch. In spring, they emerge in an acidic green color, then turn emerald green in summer. Between May and June, light panicles appear, measuring 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3in), carrying initially greenish-yellow spikelets that turn straw yellow in autumn. Seeds form in late summer and are dispersed by the wind, ensuring the species' survival in gardens and in nature.

Hardy well below -15°C (5°F), Festuca gautieri is a perfect plant for dry gardens and areas with poor, rocky soil. It can be used as ground cover, in low borders, as an edging, or in rockeries, spaced to punctuate a space or planted en masse to form a thick and dense carpet. It creates beautiful contrasts with blue fescues and remains decorative throughout the year. In a very contemporary spirit, you can create small scenes by surrounding your Festuca cushions with light or colored gravel, sand, or even volcanic rock. This will also limit the proliferation of new plants. Plant it also alongside spring bulbs that it will not smother, but will hide their yellowed foliage in summer. It can even be grown in pots on the terrace.