Festuca californica
California fescue
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Festuca californica (California fescue) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by persistent sheaths and hairy collar.
California fescue is a native perennial grass found in northwestern California, the northern California Ranges, northern and central Sierra Nevada, central western California, and San Bernardino Mountains in dry, open forests, moist streambanks, and chaparral at elevations below 1,800 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces delicate green-yellow flower clusters in open inflorescences 10 to 27 centimeters long. Growing in dense clumps with stems 45 to 120 centimeters tall, it features visibly jointed stems that spread in graceful clusters. Its leaves are flat or slightly rolled, 10 to 100 centimeters long and 1.8 to 3.5 millimeters wide, with scabrous (rough) surfaces and conspicuously hairy leaf collars. The grass produces spikelets 13 to 18 millimeters long with 4 to 6 florets, each topped with a small awn 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 18 sympatric species. Distinguished by persistent sheaths and hairy collar
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, open forest, moist streambanks, chaparral
Elevation: < 1800 m
California counties: San Mateo, Monterey, Marin, Tulare, Orange, San Bernardino, Siskiyou, Tehama, Los Angeles, Humboldt, Napa, Del Norte, San Luis Obispo, Riverside, Sierra, Butte, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Trinity, Yuba, Lake, Alameda, Mendocino, Plumas, San Benito, Colusa, Modoc, Shasta, Santa Barbara, El Dorado, San Francisco
Outside California: Oregon
Bloom period
Festuca californica blooms May-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Bromus: Festuca sheaths split open; Bromus sheaths stay closed around the stem.; vs Lolium: Festuca spikelets branch from multiple points; Lolium spikelets sit flat against one side of stem.; vs Aciphylla: Festuca is a grass with thin blade leaves; Aciphylla has rigid spine-tipped tufts.; vs Poa: Festuca lemmas have 5+ veins; Poa lemmas show only 3-5 veins with cobwebby hairs at base.; vs Muhlenbergia: Festuca has multi-flowered chunky spikelets; Muhlenbergia has delicate single-flowered tiny spikelets.
Frequently asked questions
Is Festuca californica native to California?
Yes. Festuca californica is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Festuca californica bloom?
Festuca californica blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Festuca californica grow?
Festuca californica occurs in San Mateo, Monterey, Marin, Tulare, Orange, San Bernardino, Siskiyou, Tehama and other counties, at elevations of < 1800 m.
What plant family does Festuca californica belong to?
Festuca californica is in the Poaceae family, genus Festuca.
What habitat does Festuca californica grow in?
Festuca californica grows in Dry, open forest, moist streambanks, chaparral.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.