St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass, Coastal Erosion Control
Variety / Cultivar
'Floratam', known for its large, coarse blue-green blades and excellent heat and drought tolerance in southern regions
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 8-10; excellent heat tolerance, poor cold tolerance (susceptible to freeze damage below 20°F); goes dormant and turns brown in cooler zones
About This Grass
Forms a thick, dense, carpet-like turf with coarse texture and vibrant green to blue-green color; grows rapidly in warm weather and goes dormant in winter in cooler parts of its range
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades (>4mm wide), flat, with blunt, rounded tips, rolled in the bud (vernation), smooth texture, prominent midvein, membranous ligule with a fringe of hairs, and absent or reduced auricles
Root System
Moderately deep fibrous root system originating from nodes along the thick stolons; moderate thatch-forming tendency; establishes quickly from sod but slow from plugs
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to tropical and subtropical regions along the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Mediterranean; widely cultivated in the Southern United States
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous, spreading rapidly via robust above-ground runners (stolons) to form a dense, coarse-textured turf
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun to moderate shade (most shade tolerant of warm-season grasses); high water needs during active growth; moderate drought tolerance by entering dormancy; prefers well-drained soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5
Mowing & Maintenance
Mow at 2.5 to 4 inches high every 7-10 days; medium-high maintenance requiring regular fertilization (2-5 lbs N per 1000 sq ft annually) and periodic dethatching
Special Characteristics
Good shade and salt tolerance, moderate wear tolerance with rapid recovery via stolons, prone to chinch bugs, sod webworms, and take-all root rot; poor cold tolerance
Ecological Information
Introduced/cultivated in many subtropical coastal regions; provides good soil stabilization and erosion control on coastal dunes; limited wildlife food value but provides cover; typically grown as a monoculture