• Tall fescue grass is a common choice for pastures and farmland.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  If you're looking for a hardy, drought-resistant grass that will withstand the season-to-season variance of your climate, you've likely put fescue grass at the top of your list of turf options. Texas A&M says fescue grass is a generic term for about 100 perennial grasses, and the taller varieties are valued for their wild, natural appearance. If you're thinking about fescue grass for your lawn or pasture, consider some of the risks associate with tall fescue grass before you invest in seeding and growing.
  
  

Structural Damage Risk

• Tall fescue grasses will grow to over 4 feet in ideal growth conditions. The height of fescue makes it an ample fuel for fires. Tall fescue also retains more moisture in its long leaves and tall stems than shorter grasses that would otherwise allow the moisture to evaporate. If you plant tall fescue near a structure like your home or barn, you'll need to keep a wide perimeter of the grass trimmed to control the potential spreading of a grass fire and to keep moisture-trapping fescue away from wooden exteriors. An alternative is to line the edge of structure with gravel to protect your structures from damage in the result of a fire or moisture collection.
  
  

Allergies

• Most varieties of fescue are voracious pollinators, and many species are major contributors to hay fever allergies. Meadow fescue, red fescue and sheep fescue are the most aggressive allergen pollinators, and these varieties are typically planted in grazing pastures. It's best to avoid fescue altogether if you suffer from hay fever, but if you insist on fescue despite your allergies, stick to shorter, more tufted varieties like tufted fescue, which are less aggressive pollen producers.
  
  

Fescue Toxicosis

• Tall fescue is commonly used as grazing feed for cattle and horses, but in some instances the ubiquitous feed can cause a series health condition in animals. Fescue toxicosis is the result of ingesting tall fescue grasses that have been infected with a toxic endophyte, a fungus naturally present in the seeds of many species of fescue. Purdue University notes pregnant cattle and horses are particularly at-risk for detrimental effects of fescue toxicosis, and acute toxicosis is associated with increased rates of extended pregnancy and stillbirth. High levels put animals at risk.