Green Bulrush vs Rocky Mountain Fescue - TreeTime.ca

Green Bulrush vs Rocky Mountain Fescue

Festuca saximontana

Scirpus pallidus

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Rocky Mountain Fescue
Green Bulrush

Rocky Mountain Fescue is a native perennial bunchgrass recognized for its fine-textured clumps and adaptability to harsh environments. It grows well in dry, rocky, and nutrient-poor soils and is highly cold-tolerant, making it well-suited to both prairie and alpine habitats. Its fibrous root system contributes to soil stability and helps reduce erosion on slopes and shallow soils.
Widespread across western and northern North America, Rocky Mountain Fescue is an important component of many prairie and alpine ecosystems. It contributes ground cover and organic matter that support soil function, provides cover for small wildlife, and offers moderate forage for grazing animals. Hardy and versatile, it is used in ecological restoration, naturalization, and habitat enhancement projects, particularly in upland and alpine landscapes.

Green Bulrush is a common waterside plant, suitable for erosion control and land reclamation. Despite this, Green Bulrush is very drought resistant once established. Bulrushes can cool nearby areas on hot days.

Unlike many of the other waterside plants available, Green Bulrush does not attract wildlife. This makes it a good choice for surrounding residential water sources.

Green Bulrush is topped with spiky balls of florets, green in the spring and fading to brown in the fall.

Rocky Mountain Fescue Quick Facts

Green Bulrush Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 1a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.8 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: clump-forming
Spreading: seeds - low
Suckering: medium


Foliage: long thin whitish green
Flowers: green spiked clusters
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NL, YT, NT, NU
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON
Other Names: mountain fescue
Other Names: cloaked bulrush, pale bulrush, pale-green bulrush