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
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 8 through 10, intolerant of heavy frosts and prolonged freezes, goes dormant in cooler winters.
About This Grass
A coarse-textured, dense, low-growing warm-season turfgrass with a bright green to blue-green color. Mown height typically maintained between 2.5 to 4 inches. Produces flat, thick stolons and forms a thick, spongy turf mat.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades wider than 4mm, flat shape, blunt or rounded tips, bright green to blue-green color, folded vernation in the bud, prominent ligule consisting of a fringe of hairs, and absent auricles.
Root System
Moderate depth root system, fibrous with aggressive stolons, forms a moderate thatch layer, fast establishment from plugs or sod, moderate drought tolerance and good wear recovery via stolons.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to tropical and subtropical regions near the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean, and coastal regions worldwide; widely cultivated in the Southern United States.
Growth Habit
Aggressively stoloniferous, forming a dense, coarse-textured sod with thick above-ground runners.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun to partial shade (more shade-tolerant than most warm-season grasses), requires regular moisture and irrigation during dry periods, 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 using rotary mowers, fertilize 2 to 4 lbs N per 1000 sq ft annually, moderate to high maintenance due to dethatching needs and susceptibility to chinch bugs.
Special Characteristics
Good shade tolerance for a warm-season grass, poor cold tolerance, moderate to good salt tolerance, prone to chinch bug damage and take-all root rot, excellent for coastal home lawns.
Ecological Information
Introduced/cultivated across southern regions, provides low wildlife value compared to native prairies, excellent for soil stabilization and erosion control on coastal properties.