St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Variety / Cultivar
'Floratam', a widely used cultivar known for its coarse texture, blue-green color, and resistance to St. Augustine decline virus.
Hardiness Zones
Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 through 10. Low cold tolerance and susceptible to frost damage and winter dormancy discoloration.
About This Grass
Forms a lush, dense, blue-green to bright green turf. Coarse texture with flat, wide blades. Grows relatively fast under optimal warm conditions. Unmowed height can reach 6 to 12 inches, while maintained turf is kept lower. Produces flat, spike-like seed heads.
Blade Characteristics
Blades are coarse, greater than 4mm in width, flat, with blunt, rounded tips. Color ranges from light green to blue-green. Vernation is folded in the bud. Ligule is a fringe of hairs. Auricles are absent. The collar region is continuous and broad.
Root System
Moderately deep fibrous root system originating from nodes along the thick stolons. Moderate to high thatch-forming tendency. Establishes relatively quickly from sod or plugs.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to the coastal regions of the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Mediterranean. Best adapted to warm, humid tropical and subtropical climates.
Growth Habit
Aggressively stoloniferous, spreading via thick above-ground runners (stolons) to form a dense, coarse turf mat.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun to partial shade (more shade tolerant than many warm-season grasses, needing at least 4 hours of direct sun). High water needs during active growth. Moderate drought tolerance, entering dormancy during severe dry spells.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal mowing height is 2.5 to 4 inches using a sharp rotary mower. Medium to high maintenance level. Requires regular fertilization during the growing season and periodic dethatching.
Special Characteristics
Moderate traffic tolerance (less than Bermuda or Zoysia), poor cold tolerance, excellent salt spray tolerance, good shade tolerance for a warm-season grass, and good weed suppression when thick and healthy.
Ecological Information
Introduced and naturalized widely across the southern United States. Provides good soil stabilization and erosion control in coastal areas. Low wildlife food value but provides cover for small organisms.