St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 8 through 10. Low cold tolerance, susceptible to frost damage and enters dormancy in cooler zones.
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Variety / Cultivar
Floratam
About This Grass
Forms a thick, coarse, carpet-like turf with blunt-tipped, folded blades. Bright to dark green color. Height ranges from 2 to 3 inches when maintained. Produces flat, spike-like seed heads.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades (>4mm wide), flat shape with blunt or rounded tips, folded vernation in the bud, smooth texture with prominent midrib, short membranous ligule, and absent auricles.
Root System
Shallow to moderately deep fibrous root system originating from stolon nodes. Forms a thick sod, moderate establishment speed, and moderate thatch tendency.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to the Gulf of Mexico region, West Indies, and tropical coastal areas worldwide. Thrives in warm, humid coastal regions.
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous, spreading aggressively by thick, flat above-ground stolons (runners) that form a dense, coarse-textured turf.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun to partial shade (more shade-tolerant than most warm-season grasses). Requires regular watering, moderate drought tolerance with dormancy in severe dry spells.
Mowing & Maintenance
Mowing height between 2.5 to 3.5 inches. High maintenance level regarding fertilization, watering, and occasional dethatching.
Special Characteristics
Good shade tolerance and salt tolerance. Moderate wear tolerance but slow recovery from severe damage. Susceptible to chinch bugs and take-all root rot.
Ecological Information
Introduced/naturalized in many coastal areas. Provides good soil stabilization and erosion control on sandy coastal soils. Often planted as a monoculture turf.