St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Variety / Cultivar
'Floratam' or 'Palmetto' (common cultivated varieties with broad blades and good adaptation)
Hardiness Zones
Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 through 10, sensitive to heavy frost and extreme cold.
About This Grass
Forms a thick, carpet-like turf with coarse texture and vibrant blue-green to dark green color. Unmowed height can reach 6 to 12 inches, but typically maintained much lower. Produces flat, upright seed spikes at maturity.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades (>4mm wide), flat with blunt, rounded tips. Folded vernation in the bud. Smooth texture with distinct parallel veins. Ligule is a fringe of hairs, auricles are absent.
Root System
Moderately deep fibrous roots with extensive above-ground stolons. Moderate thatch-forming tendency, fast establishment from sod or plugs, forms a very dense sod.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to tropical and subtropical regions along the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Mediterranean; widely cultivated in the southern United States and coastal regions worldwide.
Growth Habit
Aggressively stoloniferous, forming a dense, coarse turf mat via above-ground runners.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun to partial shade (more shade-tolerant than many warm-season grasses). High water requirement during active growth, moderate drought tolerance by entering dormancy.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal mowing height between 2.5 and 4 inches. Moderate to high maintenance level, requiring regular watering, fertilization, and occasional dethatching.
Special Characteristics
Good shade tolerance for a warm-season grass, poor heavy traffic/wear tolerance compared to Bermuda or Zoysia, moderate salt tolerance, susceptible to chinch bugs and take-all root rot.
Ecological Information
Introduced/cultivated turfgrass in many areas; provides ground cover and erosion control in coastal soils; limited wildlife value compared to native prairie grasses.