Tall Fescue, 1000 sq-ft Coverage Area, 20 lb

Tall fescue is a robust long lived, comparatively deep rooted, bunchgrass. The broad flat leaves are smooth and shiny on the underside, with pronounced ribs on the upper surface. The stems are 3 to 4 ft tall, supporting a nodding panicle that is 4 to 12 in long. There are approximately 227000 seeds/lb. For decades KY-31 tall fescue was planted widely as a forage and erosion control plant because it is widely adapted, easy to establish and long lived under harsh conditions and mistreatment. It is now recognized that the presence of a toxic endophyte contributed to both the tough nature of KY31 and the poor performance of grazing animals in the warmer months. It is suspected that endophyte infected KY31 has been deleterious to wildlife as well. Today, there are many varieties of tall fescue that are low endophyte or endophyte free, which can be used for hay or pastures without any of the animal health concerns posed by endophyte infected KY31. Tall fescue testing services are available to have existing stands of this grass evaluated for endophyte presence.