St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Hardiness Zones
Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 through 10. Excellent heat tolerance, poor cold tolerance (susceptible to frost damage and winter dormancy in cooler parts of its range).
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Panicae
Variety / Cultivar
Floratam
About This Grass
Forms a coarse-textured, dense, blue-green to dark green turf with flat, broad blades. Unmowed height reaches 6 to 12 inches, but it is typically maintained low at 2.5 to 4 inches. Produces flattened seed spikes.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades wider than 4mm, flat shape, blunt rounded tip, blue-green to dark green color, folded vernation in the bud, short membranous ligule, and absent auricles.
Root System
Shallow to moderately deep fibrous root system with aggressive above-ground stolons. Forms a dense sod with moderate thatch-forming tendencies, moderate establishment speed, and moderate drought tolerance.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to tropical regions along the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean; widely cultivated in warm, humid coastal regions of the southeastern United States.
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous, spreading rapidly via thick surface runners (stolons) to form a dense, coarse mat-forming turf.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun to partial shade with a minimum of 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight. High water needs, excellent heat tolerance, moderate drought tolerance by going into dormancy, prefers well-drained soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal mowing height ranges from 2.5 to 4 inches. High maintenance level requiring regular mowing, moderate to high fertilization (2 to 4 lbs N per 1000 sq ft annually), frequent watering, and periodic dethatching.
Special Characteristics
Moderate wear tolerance, good shade tolerance compared to other warm-season grasses, susceptible to chinch bugs and take-all root rot, excellent salt tolerance, highly effective for coastal erosion control.
Ecological Information
Introduced/cultivated status in managed landscapes, provides minor ground cover and wildlife habitat, excellent soil stabilization and erosion control capabilities in coastal environments, generally grown as a monoculture turf.