The specific epithet vivipara is Latin, referring to the florets' alteration to leafy tufts.

Festuca vivipara is a perennial grass growing 5–20 cm (2.0–7.9 in) tall with capillary culms.

The strongly proliferous, compact panicles are 2–10 cm (0.79–3.94 in) long, with flowers as leafy tufts.

The membraneous, awnless lemmas are 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long when not modified, and are strongly inrolled.

Festuca vivipara occurs in North America from Greenland and Labrador to Alaska, growing on calcareous rock and peat, and can occur in western Newfoundland, the Shickshock Mountains, and parts of Quebec.