Bear-skin fescue (Festuca gautieri)
Bear-skin fescue is a perennial tussock grass. It has low palatability for stock and could become dominant in areas such as the southern highlands of NSW.
Profile
How does this weed affect you?
Bear-skin fescue is a perennial tussock grass that grows to around 20 cm high. This grass has a low palatability to stock and may become a dominant species in suitable habitats such as the southern highlands of NSW. It has been traded as a garden ornamental in recent years. This species is not yet known to have escaped cultivation in Australia.
What does it look like?
Bear-skin fescue grows in small round pin cushion like tussocks.
Leaves
The leaves are very fine and thread-like, only 0.4-0.7 mm wide with a pointed tip. The leaf blade is smooth and can be straight or curved. Leaves can be bright green to bluish grey.
Flowers
The seed head stems are 20-50 cm long and up to 1.7 mm in diameter. The flowers form on a 4.5-7 cm long seed head (panicle). Each panicle bears a few flowers (spikelets) that are 9-11 mm long.
Seeds
The seeds are broadly oval-to-oblong shaped.
Where is it found?
Bear-skin fescue is native to south western France and north eastern Spain. It is a weed of grazing land in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Bear-skin fescue was introduced into Australia as an ornamental garden plant.
How does it spread?
Bear-skin fescue flowers in summer and can spread vegetatively or by seed. Old plants tend to spread outwards while dying back in the centre of the tussock.
What type of environment does it grow in?
Bear-skin fescue prefers well drained soils and cooler climates but is drought and heat tolerant.
Acknowledgements
Prepared by Stephen Johnson and Annie Johnson.
Technical review by John Hosking, Royce Holtkamp, Andreas Glanznig (WWF Australia), Rod Randall (Agriculture Western Australia), and Department of Primary Industries Victoria.
More information
Control
Little information on the control of bear-skin fescue is available. If you have planted bear-skin fescue or know someone who has, contact your Local Council Weeds Officer for advice.
Before removing this species, cut off all seed heads, bag them and place in landfill. Dig up and remove adult plants, any fallen seed and any soil containing seed around the plant. Place this material in landfill.
Monitor sites where the species has been planted to ensure seedlings that emerge are controlled before flowering and that spread of the plants has not occurred.
Herbicide options
WARNING - ALWAYS READ THE LABEL
Users of agricultural or veterinary chemical products must always read the label and any permit, before using the product, and strictly comply with the directions on the label and the conditions of any permit. Users are not absolved from compliance with the directions on the label or the conditions of the permit by reason of any statement made or not made in this information. To view permits or product labels go to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority website www.apvma.gov.au
Users of agricultural or veterinary chemical products must always read the label and any permit, before using the product, and strictly comply with the directions on the label and the conditions of any permit. Users are not absolved from compliance with the directions on the label or the conditions of the permit by reason of any statement made or not made in this information. To view permits or product labels go to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority website www.apvma.gov.au
See Using herbicides for more information.
Glyphosate 360 g/L
(Various products)
Rate: 10 mL per 1 L water
Comments: Spot spray. For general weed control in Domestic areas (Home gardens), Commercial, Industrial and Public Service areas, Agricultural buildings and other farm situations.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: M, Inhibitors of EPSP synthase
Resistance risk: Moderate
Biosecurity duty
The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.
| Area | Duty |
|---|---|
| All of NSW | General Biosecurity Duty All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable. |
For technical advice and assistance with identification please contact your local council weeds officer.
Reviewed 2021
