St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season perennial, C4 metabolism
Grass Family
Poaceae, Subfamily Panicoideae, Tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Common or 'Floratam' (typical of broad-blade southern lawns)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 8-11; poor cold tolerance; enters dormancy and turns brown when soil temperatures drop below 55°F
About This Grass
A coarse-textured, low-growing grass with a deep green to blue-green color. It forms a thick, spongy mat and produces short, thick flowering culms with spikelets embedded in a flattened rachis.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse width (>4mm), folded vernation, rounded or boat-shaped tips, prominent midrib, no auricles, and a short, fringed-membranous ligule
Root System
Moderately deep fibrous root system emergingจาก nodes of stolons; slow to establish from seed (usually sodded or plugged); moderate thatch producer
Growing Information
Origin Region
Coastal regions of Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and West Africa; thrives in tropical and subtropical humid climates
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous (spreads via thick, creeping above-ground runners/stolons); forms a dense, carpet-like sod
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun to partial shade (one of the most shade-tolerant warm-season grasses); high water needs; moderate drought tolerance but wilts quickly in extreme dry heat
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal height 2.5–4.0 inches; requires weekly mowing during peak season; 2-4 lbs Nitrogen per 1000 sq ft annually; medium to high maintenance
Special Characteristics
Excellent shade tolerance for a warm-season grass; high salt tolerance (good for coastal areas); poor wear/traffic tolerance due to brittle stolons
Ecological Information
Introduced/Naturalized in US; provides dense cover for soil stabilization; prone to Chinch bugs and Large Patch disease; often blended with other warm-season varieties in transition zones