SimplePlant

Poaceae

Red fescue

Festuca rubra L.

Family
Poaceae
Genus
Festuca

Pets and kids

  • CatsNot sure
  • DogsNot sure
  • KidsNot sure
Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for young children, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with a doctor or poison control.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

Red fescue (Festuca rubra)
FlowerPhoto: Alice Shanks, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (35)
Arabic
فستوكة حمراء, فستوكة أطراف الأطلس
Armenian
Կարմիր շյուղախոտ
arz
فستوكه حمراء
Asturian
Pelu (de) topu
Belarusian
Аўсяніца чырвоная, Аўсюг, Мурожніца
Bulgarian
Червена власатка
Catalan
Fétuque rouge
Chinese
紫羊茅, 克西羊茅, 多花羊茅, 毛稃羊茅, 糙毛羊茅
Czech
Kostřava červená
Danish
Rød Svingel
Dutch
Rood zwenkgras, Roodzwenkgras
English
Red fescue, Bloomed fescue, Slender creeping red fescue
Estonian
Punane aruhein, Luide-aruhein
Finnish
Punanata, Niittypunanata, Pohjanpunanata
French
Fétuque rouge
German
Gewöhnlicher Rot-Schwingel, Rot-Schwingel, Fétuque rouge, Binsen-Rot-Schwingel, Simsen-Rotschwingel
hsb
Čerwjena dornica
Hungarian
Veres csenkesz, Vörös csenkesz
Icelandic
Túnvingull
Irish
Feisciú dearg
Japanese
オオウシノケグサ
kw
Powswelsen rudh
Latvian
Sarkanā auzene
Lithuanian
Raudonasis eraičinas, Fétuque rouge
Macedonian
Црвен виук
Mongolian
Улаан ботууль
Norwegian Bokmål
Rødsvingel, Vegrødsvingel
Norwegian Nynorsk
Raudsvingel
Persian
علف بره قرمز
Polish
Kostrzewa czerwona, Kostrzewa czerwonawa
Russian
Овсяница красная
Slovenian
Rdeča bilnica
Swedish
Rödsvingel, Bågsvingel, Daggsvingel, Fjällsvingel, Fétuque rouge, Jätterödsvingel, Marsksvingel, Tuvsvingel
Ukrainian
Костриця червона
Welsh
Peiswellt coch, Peiswellt Chewing

Synonyms

  • Avena dura Salisb.
  • Bromus glaucus Spreng. ex Hornem.
  • Bromus secundus J.Presl
  • Festuca alexeevii Tzvelev
  • Festuca alexeevii var. villispiculata Tzvelev
  • Festuca alpestris Wulfen
  • Festuca alpigena Hoppe
  • Festuca ammobia Pavlick
  • Festuca arenaria Retz.
  • Festuca arenaria Osbeck
  • Festuca arundinacea Vill.
  • Festuca askelofiana Schult.
  • Festuca atlantigena (Litard.) Romo
  • Festuca aucta V.I.Krecz. & Bobrov
  • Festuca aurasiaca Trab.
  • Festuca baicalensis (Griseb.) V.I.Krecz. & Bobrov
  • Festuca baicalensis var. tjulinae Tzvelev
  • Festuca balearica Zuccagni
  • Festuca baltica Homann ex Mert. & W.D.J.Koch
  • Festuca briquetii St.-Yves
  • Festuca cambrica var. glabra (Lightf.) Gray
  • Festuca clarkei (Stapf) B.S.Sun
  • Festuca communis Petif
  • Festuca communis var. rubra (L.) Petif
  • Festuca daghestanica (Tzvelev) E.B.Alexeev
  • Festuca densiuscula (Hack. ex Piper) E.B.Alexeev
  • Festuca dumetorum Hegetschw.
  • Festuca dumetorum L.
  • Festuca dumetorum f. planifolia (Hack.) Druce
  • Festuca dumetorum prol. arenaria (Osbeck) Rouy
  • Festuca dumetorum var. caesia Fr.
  • Festuca dumetorum var. nemorum Blytt
  • Festuca dumetorum var. rubra (L.) Chaub.
  • Festuca dumetorum var. scopulorum Blytt
  • Festuca duriuscula L.
  • Festuca duriuscula O.F.Müll.
  • Festuca duriuscula var. collina Andersson
  • Festuca duriuscula var. dumetorum (L.) Huds.
  • Festuca duriuscula var. glaucescens Andersson
  • Festuca duriuscula var. nemoralis Mert. & W.D.J.Koch

and 190 more.

Flowers

In flower
May to August, November to January (from 64 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour
yellow (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit
Graminoid
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Alaska: introduced, Alaska: native, Canada: introduced, Canada: native, Greenland: introduced, Greenland: native, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Lower 48 states: native, St. Pierre and Miquelon: native

Photos

More in Festuca

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.