Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.)

root internode Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is a perennial, cool-season bunchgrass that is grown for pasture, hay, and silage. Native to Europe and North Africa, it was introduced from Europe to North and South America. Tall fescue was introduced into the United States in the late 1800s. Early performance tests were conducted at the Utah and Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Stations and in Washington, DC. Tall fescue did not become a prominent forage grass in the United States, however, until the 1940s. Tall fescue is important in forage/livestock systems and forms the forage base for beef cow-calf production in the east-central and southeastern United States. In this region alone, it supports more than 8.5 million beef cows on nearly 25 million acres. Throughout the world, it is valued for its tolerance of a wide range of soil and climatic factors and its high yield potential. Tall fescue closely resembles meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.). Both are closely related to perennial and annual ryegrass, and improved varieties sometimes are created by crossing these species with tall fescue.