Perennial of the Poaceae family, the Pyrenean Fescue is a species endemic to the Pyrenees, present on both sides of the range, in France and Spain.
It occupies high-altitude grasslands, rocky areas, scree, and windy ridges, on poor, well-drained siliceous substrates, between approximately 1,600 and 2,800 meters in altitude. It is often dominant in fescue grasslands of the subalpine and alpine levels.
It forms dense, perfectly hemispherical cushions, from bright green to dark green, reaching 30 to 50 cm in diameter. Its leaves are very fine, stiff, and sharp, distinctly prickly to the touch — which immediately distinguishes it from most other ornamental fescues.
The slender flowering stems rise 20 to 40 cm above the cushion, bearing small narrow panicles. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from July to August.
In cultivation, it requires well-drained, poor soil, preferably acidic or siliceous, in full sun. Hardy and undemanding, it requires no particular maintenance and retains its cushion shape without pruning.