St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Hardiness Zones
Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 through 10; excellent heat tolerance, poor cold tolerance (susceptible to frost damage and enters winter dormancy in cooler parts of its range).
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Variety / Cultivar
Floratam
About This Grass
A coarse-textured, dense, warm-season turfgrass featuring wide, flat blades with rounded tips. Color ranges from light to dark blue-green. Forms a thick, spongy lawn when well-maintained and can grow quite tall if left unmowed, producing flattened seed spikes.
Blade Characteristics
Blades are coarse (>4mm wide), flat, with rounded tips, folded vernation in the bud, smooth texture with prominent parallel veins, continuous collar, short membranous ligule, and absent auricles.
Root System
Moderately deep fibrous root system originating from stolon nodes, establishing quickly in moist soils, forming a dense sod with a moderate to high tendency to produce thatch.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to tropical regions along the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Mediterranean; widely cultivated in the Southern United States and warm coastal areas globally.
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous, spreading aggressively via above-ground runners (stolons) to form a dense, coarse turf mat.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun to partial shade (more shade-tolerant than most warm-season grasses); high watering needs during establishment and active growth; moderate drought tolerance by entering dormancy during severe dry spells; prefers well-drained soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal mowing height ranges from 2.5 to 4 inches; needs regular mowing weekly during peak growing season; fertilization of 2 to 4 lbs N per 1000 sq ft annually; high maintenance level requiring pest management and regular thatch control.
Special Characteristics
Moderate wear tolerance with good self-repair via stolons; susceptible to chinch bugs, sod webworms, and take-all root rot; poor salt tolerance compared to seashore paspalum but handles coastal salinity moderately well; excellent weed-crowding ability when dense.
Ecological Information
Introduced/cultivated warm-season turfgrass; provides basic ground cover and soil stabilization against erosion in coastal regions; limited native wildlife value compared to native prairies, but supports various urban insects and small birds.