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Blue Fescue:
Red Fescue and Sheep's Fescue. The most widely used fescues are red fescue (Festuca rubra) and sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina). The former spreads by rhizomes, while the latter is a bunch grass that forms dense tufts with stiff, sharp, bluish gray leaves. Both grasses are native to the Northern Hemisphere, are adapted to cold conditions, and do well in shaded dry sites. Sheep's fescue has numerous slender blades and may reach 2 feet (0.6 meter) in height.Blue fescue (Festuca ovina var. glauca), 18 by 10 inches, is hardy in Zone 4. It is a variety of sheeps' fescue grass and has a bluish bloom, which is actually a powder that covers the leaf-blade surfaces and will easily rub off. The name is derived from the Celtic word fest, meaning pasture. Plant these grasses in clusters and fill up any vacant spots in the plan with their attractive leaves. The clumps are easily split when they become too large. The flowers are rather small; the color and shape of the leaves is the chief reason for cultivation.
The great shady lawn grasses are Chew-ings Fescue, Illahee Fescue, Rough-stalked Bluegrass and Velvet Bent. Red Top and Meadow Fescue are temporary "nurse" grasses. In the South, St. Augustine grass and Centipede grass are useful in shade and so is Zoysia. Where shade is so heavy that even with the best care the grass plants are weakened to the extent that many do not live more than one to three years, you may be able to maintain a fair stand of grass by lightly re-seeding each fall.
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