Idaho Fescue vs Yellow Mountain Avens - TreeTime.ca

Idaho Fescue vs Yellow Mountain Avens

Festuca idahoensis

Dryas drummondii

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Idaho Fescue
Yellow Mountain Avens

Idaho Fescue is a native perennial bunchgrass recognized for its fine-textured, blue-green foliage. Its dense, tufted growth and deep root system make it drought-tolerant and effective at stabilizing soils, particularly on slopes and open grasslands. Its upright, arching form and dense clumps give it strong ornamental value in both natural and designed landscapes.
This hardy grass provides cover for wildlife and forage for grazing animals, while also supporting soil health and habitat diversity. Idaho Fescue is well-suited for erosion control, ecological restoration, naturalization, xeriscaping, and habitat enhancement projects.

Yellow Mountain Avens is a native perennial wildflower with bright yellow buttercup-like blooms. The nectar-rich flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies. By thriving at higher elevations, it helps sustain pollinator populations and provides one of the earliest sources of nectar and pollen in alpine habitats.

As a nitrogen-fixing plant, Yellow Mountain Avens enriches soil fertility and supports the growth of surrounding vegetation. It forms dense, spreading mats of evergreen foliage that act as a groundcover and help stabilize soil. Often among the first species to establish in disturbed alpine sites such as glacial outwash or landslides, it is well-suited for alpine revegetation, erosion control, naturalization, and ecological restoration projects in harsh, rocky environments.

Idaho Fescue Quick Facts

Yellow Mountain Avens Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 1b
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: clump-forming
Growth form: mat-forming, creeping
Spreading: seeds - low
Spreading: stolons - medium, seeds - low


Foliage: evergreen, leathery
Flowers: yellow, buttercup-like, nodding
Bloom time: spring to summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK
Native to: AB, BC, SK, ON, QC, NB, NL, YT, NT
Other Names: blue bunchgrass, bluebunch fescue
Other Names: drummonds dryad, drummonds mountain avens, yellow dryad