The bearskin grass is an easy-care ground cover. Planted in the right location, it gives structure to your garden and is a friendly plant neighbour.
The bearskin grass (Festuca gautieri, obsolete F. scoparia) is a member of the fescue genus (Festuca ) appropriate, filigree, evergreen ornamental grass that requires little maintenance. The fine, needle-shaped leaves grow so close together that they resemble an animal's fur. Bearskin grass is ideal as a ground cover and structure builder. It helps beds and borders, but also the edges of open spaces to give a chic look. Even in the planter, bearskin grass provides a minimalist decoration. Due to its site requirements, it is well suited for rock gardens and green roofs. For anyone looking for an easy-care ornamental grass, Festuca gautieri is an insider tip.
Bear skin grass: origin and properties
Bearskin Grass grows naturally on gravel and rocky lawns in south west France and north east Spain. This is where the Pyrenees are located, which gave their name to the Pyrenean fescue. The climate of the Pyrenees is characterized by wet winters and dry summers. Especially in summer there are few clouds, which leads to high solar radiation. The temperatures then climb up to 28 °C. In the rainy spring, the daytime temperatures are between 16 and 24 °C.
Besides the names bearskin grass and Pyrenees fescue, the title bearskin fescue is also known for this sweet grass. The latter two terms are very ambiguous and can therefore lead to misunderstandings.
How big does bearskin grass get and what exactly does it look like? Festuca Forms 10 to 20 cm flat, rarely 30 cm high, broad, cushion-shaped clumps in fresh to dark green . The leaves are needle-shaped, quite fine and pointed, erect or hanging slightlyabout. Between June and August, thin flower stalks protrude, the spikes of which appear green at first and later yellow-brown. However, the almost 5 cm small, yellow-green flowers are rather uninteresting for bees and insects. But the dense grass is a good hiding place for various insects, especially in the cold season because the bearskin grass is winter green.
Is bearskin grass walkable? The step resistance of the Pyrenean rascal cannot be compared to that of turf, despite its low growth height. Bearskin grass is not tread-resistant and should therefore not be planted in places where people have walked. He doesn't mind stepping on it every now and then for grooming.
The most beautiful varieties
Breeding has resulted in different varieties within the bear fescue species. There are only a few available on the market, some of which you have to search for longer:
- Festuca gautieri 'Pic Carlit': maximum 10 cm tall stalks, brown flowers
- Festuca gautieri 'Col de Buchara': Grows to 10 to 15 cm and also has brown flowers
- Festuca gautieri 'Hobbit': 10 to 15 cm tall stalks, violet-brown flowers
Anyone looking for red bearskin grass should look at the species Festuca amethystina, whose flower stalks are red-purple. Festuca glauca is interesting for those looking for a blue bearskin grass, because the leaves of this species have bluish nuances. However, these variants do not grow as densely and furry as Festuca gautieri.
Planting bearskin grass: location, sowing and Co.
As always, it's best to choose a naturalistic location - because the grass is well adapted to that. The ideal place for bearskin grass is in a sunny to semi-shady location on gravelly ground. Soil should be dry to fresh and well-drained. Bearskin grass likes a humus-rich substrate with low nitrogen availability. The pH is ideally in the neutral to strongly acidic range. Suitable plant substrates are mixtures of humic, slightly loamy sand with structural materials such as expanded clay, lava or granite gravel with the lowest possible lime and base content. A mixing ratio of 60% potting soil and 40% structural materials is suitableoutstanding. For example, our Plantura organic herbal and propagating soil is perfectly suited to the low nutrient requirements of the bearskin fescue. Because our soil intentionally contains fewer nutrients but more coarse material than normal potting soil to meet the needs of Mediterranean plants.
Tip: Bearskin grass goes well in a rock garden. For inspiration on how to create a rock garden, see our dedicated article on the subject.
Despite the welcome sun, the bearskin grass likes it cool. A light breeze that constantly transports warm air away is extremely good for him. The bear's fescue is wonderful for greening a roof, as well as for slopes, where it prevents erosion. This is because these locations are more exposed to both the sun and the wind than the ground level.
Bear skin grass is also suitable for planting in containers. Here, however, it is particularly susceptible to an excessive supply of nutrients. Normal potting soil is already pre-fertilized and cannot be used. The mixture of 60% potting soil and 40% structural materials described above is more suitable for the bucket. It is important to ensure that the root ball does not dry out completely. Since waterlogging must also be avoided at all costs: choose a pot from which excess water can drain.
Festuca gautieri is available as a seed or young plant in a pot. The container plants can be planted between March and October, provided there is no intense summer heat of over 30°C. A loosened, well-drained soil is important. Ensure a planting distance of about 40 cm between the specimens. The clumps should never be below ground level, but should rather protrude slightly from the planting hole.
Tip: The bearskin grass is assigned to sociability level II: three to five plants together look most attractive and can develop well.
When sowing the bearskin grass, it should be noted that it belongs to the light germinators and therefore must not be covered with soil. The seeds can be grown indoors in a pot with potting soil. Our Plantura organic herb & seed soil is also ideal for sowing, as the low nutrient content encourages the roots to search for nutrients on their own, so that they develop more vigorously. The seed is only lightly pressed onto the potting soil and then sprayed with water. Make sure the room temperatures are rather cool. AroundTo keep the moisture permanently high, it is advisable to put a plastic bag over the pot. Airing several times a day prevents mold from forming. Early spring is best for sowing indoors. The germination period is four to eight weeks. After another four to eight weeks, the plants can be pricked out and then planted out when the weather is frost-free.
Direct sowing outdoors is also possible between late autumn and early spring with ripe seeds. At 10 to 12 °C, very fresh seeds often only need a week to germinate. Because the seedlings can hardly be distinguished from weeds and should develop well, we also recommend sowing in pots outdoors.
Combine Bearskin Grass:
Festuca gautieri serves as a ground cover and structure builder - but on its own it quickly looks dull and unspectacular. Luckily, bearskin grass gets along well with other accent plants. Plants with similar requirements are optimally suited - lots of sun, low nutrient requirements, low-lime and permeable soil and a location that is as windy as possible.
Bear skin grass and lavender harmonize in a location as long as the soil has a neutral pH value. Finally, unlike bearskin grass, lavender (Lavendula) loves a calcareous soil. Other plants fit even better, such as alpine, acid-loving ones. For example, they can be excellently combined in an "alpine bed".
Overview: Combine Bearskin Grass
- Bergenia (Bergenia), Cress of the Carpathians (Arabis procurrens), Candlestick (Gaura lindheimeri ), Catnip (Nepeta), Arnica (Arnica montana), Cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea )
- Some gorse (Genista), including: German gorse (Genista germanica), English gorse (Genista anglica), Hairy gorse (Genista pilosa), Common Broom (Genista sagittalis)
- Redwort (Sempervivum), Sedum (Sedum)
- Gerard's Bluebell (Andropogon gerardii), Prairie Wedge Grass (Andropogon scoparius)
The right care
In principle, the bearskin fescue is undemanding. It grows slowly, does not need pruning and rarely needs fertilizing or watering. After a few yearsthe grass pad can become too dense, causing plants to smother each other or compete for soil. It is then necessary to cut over the individual clumps or even dig them out, divide them and replant them elsewhere. In winter, the bearskin fescue in the pot must be protected from freezing.
Cutting, watering and fertilizing bearskin grass
Basically, the bearskin grass does not need to be cut. The ears can only be removed before maturity to prevent self-sowing. Cut back faded inflorescences to encourage new growth the following year. The time for this is September to October. Unsightly culms can be removed in spring. If you want to do a topiary, you can do it all year round. It is best to rejuvenate stale upholstery, as the old stalks take away the light and air from the new ones. Be careful not to damage the fresh shoots.
Bearskin fescue only needs to be watered at very high summer temperatures with persistent dryness. This is the case at most between May and September. In the pot, care must be taken to ensure that the root ball does not dry out completely - but avoid waterlogging.
Fertilizer is best put into the planting hole at the beginning of the vegetation period, when the clumps are dug up for division in spring. You can use our Plantura organic flower fertilizer for this, for example. This has a rather low nitrogen content, which is optimal for Festuca. The slow-flowing, microbially-mediated release ensures that the bearskin grass does not suffer from an excess of nutrients.
Bear skin grass is turning yellow: what to do?
Your bearskin grass turning brown or yellow? This may be due to the fact that two nests bumped into each other, arched up, lost contact with the ground and partially died. The brown edges can be prevented by pricking the clumps in good time and by planting at a sufficient distance. Over-fertilization can also be the cause. In the case of potted plants, the soil must then be changed, but the bed must be watered abundantly.
Tip: Do not fertilize in the fall so as not to endanger winter hardiness and thus harvest yellow stalks from frost damage.
If senescence is the reason for browning, the old stalks must be cut in the spring to make room for the new onesclose. This is usually only rarely necessary. If the cause is too wet, the plants must be dug up and the soil loosened with plenty of structural material or planted in another, more suitable place.
At a glance: caring for bearskin grass
- Remove unripe ears if self-sowing is to be avoided. Also stimulates new growth of the grass
- Watering during extreme drought
- Water potted plants when the root ball is dry, avoid waterlogging at all costs
- At the beginning of the vegetation period, add low-nitrogen flower fertilizer to the planting hole
Is bearskin grass hardy?
The evergreen bearskin grass belongs to the winter hardiness zone Z4 and is therefore hardy down to -34.5 °C. The leaves stay green all winter and set a nice accent among the otherwise mostly dead plants in the bed. In principle, no special protection is necessary, but covering it with some brushwood helps prevent leaf damage from too intense winter sun.
In the pot, the root ball must be protected from freezing. This can be done by wrapping the container with jute or other slightly insulating materials. In addition, the pot should be placed on styrofoam or a wooden board in a sheltered location. This place should be frost-free, but not too warm - i.e. below 10 °C.
Propagation
There are two ways to propagate bearskin grass: one is by seeds and the other is by division. The ears of corn, standing on the thin, long stems, carry many seeds. These can be harvested after maturity, when they are brown, and sown between late autumn and early spring - as described above. Because the germination inhibition of the seeds is broken down by exposure to cold, they are stored in the refrigerator until they are sown on the desired date.
Tip: The bearskin grass seeds may also germinate without a cold stimulus - but this cannot be guaranteed. The fresher the seeds, the higher the chances.
Broad clumps can and should be divided about every two years. They are dug up and cut into smaller pieces with a sharp knife. A spade or even an ax may be necessary for old clumps. They are planted again in new locations with sufficient planting distance and a compost addition.
Is bearskin fescue poisonous?
The bearskin grass is not poisonous, neither for humans nor for animal visitors. However, as an ornamental plant it is not meant to be eaten anyway.
Besides bearskin grass, there are numerous other hardy ground covers and hardy perennials that will keep your garden lively all year round.