Festuca idahoensis
Idaho fescue, blue bunchgrass, Blue Bunchgrass
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Festuca idahoensis (Idaho fescue) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by rolled leaves and zigzag spikelet axis.
Idaho fescue is a native perennial grass found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada, northern coastal regions, and Modoc Plateau in dry, open or shady places at elevations generally below 1,800 meters. Flowering from July to September, this grass produces delicate, pale green to brownish spikelets in dense, compact clusters. Growing in densely clumped tufts 30 to 100 centimeters tall with visible nodes, it forms stiff, wiry stems with narrow, rolled leaves. Its leaves are less than 2 millimeters wide, 5 to 35 centimeters long, somewhat stiff and slightly rough to the touch. The grass produces spikelets 7 to 17 millimeters long with 3 to 9 individual florets, each featuring a small awn 1 to 6 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 17 sympatric species. Distinguished by rolled leaves and zigzag spikelet axis
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, open or shady places
Elevation: generally < 1800 m
California counties: Humboldt, Mendocino, Lassen, Sonoma, Del Norte, Siskiyou, Shasta, Modoc, Plumas, El Dorado, Marin, Monterey, San Mateo, Tehama, Lake, Mono, San Bernardino, Napa, Alpine, Calaveras, Glenn, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Sutter, San Francisco, Trinity, Placer, Contra Costa, Solano, San Luis Obispo, Butte, Nevada, Alameda, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Mariposa
Outside California: to Canada, Colorado
Bloom period
Festuca idahoensis blooms Jul-Sep.
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 idahoensis native to California?
Yes. Festuca idahoensis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Festuca idahoensis bloom?
Festuca idahoensis blooms Jul-Sep.
Where in California does Festuca idahoensis grow?
Festuca idahoensis occurs in Humboldt, Mendocino, Lassen, Sonoma, Del Norte, Siskiyou, Shasta, Modoc and other counties, at elevations of generally < 1800 m.
What plant family does Festuca idahoensis belong to?
Festuca idahoensis is in the Poaceae family, genus Festuca.
What habitat does Festuca idahoensis grow in?
Festuca idahoensis grows in Dry, open or shady places.
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.