St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Floratam
Hardiness Zones
Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 through 10. Low cold tolerance compared to other warm-season grasses.
About This Grass
A coarse-textured, low-growing warm-season grass with broad, flat blades and blunt tips. It forms a thick, carpet-like turf and spreads rapidly via above-ground stolons (runners). Color is typically a vibrant medium to dark green.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades, typically greater than 5mm wide, flat, with rounded or blunt tips. Folded in the bud (vernation). Ligule is a fringe of hairs, auricles are absent, and the collar is continuous.
Root System
Moderately deep fibrous root system with thick stolons spreading across the soil surface. Moderate thatch-forming tendency.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to tropical and subtropical coastal regions globally, well-adapted to the southern United States.
Growth Habit
Aggressively stoloniferous, forming a dense, coarse-textured turf mat.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun to partial shade; more shade tolerant than most warm-season grasses. Moderate to high water needs; moderate drought tolerance by entering dormancy.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal mowing height is 2.5 to 4 inches. Medium to high maintenance level depending on fertilization and weed control needs.
Special Characteristics
Good shade tolerance for a warm-season grass, poor heavy traffic tolerance due to spongy stolons, susceptible to chinch bugs and take-all root rot.
Ecological Information
Introduced/naturalized in many coastal areas, provides good soil stabilization and erosion control in sandy coastal soils, widely used for residential lawns in humid subtropical climates.