St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 8-10, sensitive to heavy frost and freezing temperatures, goes into winter dormancy in cooler parts of its range
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Variety / Cultivar
‘Floratam’ or ‘Palmetto’ (widely cultivated cultivars with wide blades and good shade or drought tolerance respectively)
About This Grass
Forms a lush, dense, coarse-textured turf with bright green to blue-green color. Mown typically between 2.5 and 4 inches, while unmown can reach 6 to 12 inches with thick, flattened seed spikes.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades (>4mm wide), flat with blunt or rounded tips, folded in the bud (vernation), smooth texture with prominent parallel veins, membranous short ligule, and absent auricles
Root System
Moderate to shallow fibrous root system with aggressive surface stolons; moderate thatch tendency and fast establishment from 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
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous, spreading aggressively via above-ground runners (stolons) to form a dense, coarse turf mat
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun to moderate shade (most shade-tolerant warm-season grass); high water needs during active growth, moderate drought tolerance with dormancy in extreme dry periods
Mowing & Maintenance
Mow at 2.5 to 4 inches every 7-10 days; high maintenance level requiring frequent watering, fertilization (2-4 lbs N per 1000 sq ft), and periodic dethatching
Special Characteristics
Good shade tolerance for a warm-season grass, moderate salt tolerance (ideal for coastal areas), poor heavy-traffic/wear tolerance compared to Bermuda or Zoysia
Ecological Information
Introduced turf grass in many regions, provides standard urban wildlife cover, excellent erosion control on coastal sandy soils, forms monocultures and crowds out most weeds when healthy