St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Palmetto or Floratam
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 8 through 10, sensitive to heavy frost and freezing temperatures.
About This Grass
Forms a lush, dense, blue-green to dark green carpet with coarse-textured leaves. Unmowed height can reach 6 to 12 inches, but typically maintained at 2.5 to 4 inches. Produces flat, spike-like seed heads on flattened stems at maturity.
Blade Characteristics
Blades are coarse, greater than 4mm in width, flat with blunt or rounded tips. Vernation is folded in the bud. The ligule is a fringe of hairs, and auricles are absent. The collar region is continuous and broad.
Root System
Moderate root depth with a fibrous root system anchored by vigorous, thick stolons. Moderate to high thatch-forming tendency, establishes quickly from sod or plugs, and 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.
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous, spreading aggressively by flat above-ground runners (stolons) to form 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 as it goes into dormancy under severe drought conditions.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal mowing height ranges from 2.5 to 4 inches using rotary mowers with sharp blades to prevent tearing. Medium-high maintenance with high fertilization requirements.
Special Characteristics
Excellent shade tolerance among warm-season grasses, moderate salt tolerance, poor wear tolerance compared to Bermuda or Zoysia, and prone to chinch bugs and brown patch disease.
Ecological Information
Provides good soil stabilization and erosion control in coastal areas. Can become invasive in tropical environments where it escapes cultivation, and is widely utilized in coastal residential and commercial southern lawns.