Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions
BRIEF: Are these plants toxic?
QUESTION:
I am a landscape architect and I am currently designing a
landscape for a daycare center. I am thinking of using several different
species of ornamental grasses i.e. 'Elijah Blue' and a
mixture of varieties. Do I need to be concerned about any
toxic elements within these varieties? (Fescue Alkaloides
etc.)
ANSWER:
Fescue toxicity is only an issue for livestock eating massive quantities
of it and then usually only in warmer climates.
Playing on it, mowing it, lying down on it, looking at it: none of those
activities are a problem, and the fungal endophyte helps provide valuable
protection against pests. Even if kids nibbled on some, there wouldn't be
anything to worry about. Some of the hardier fescue varieties they use out
west feel a little stiff and prickly when mown...one goes to lie down on
what looks like a soft bed of drought-resistant fescue and it feels like a
bed of nails, but that is another issue. There are softer texture
fescues,
too.