St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Commonly 'Floratam', 'Palmetto', or 'Raleigh'; known for broad blades and coarse texture
Hardiness Zones
Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 8-10, sensitive to heavy freezes (cold damage below 20°F), goes dormant and turns brown in cooler winter regions.
About This Grass
Forms a coarse-textured, dense, blue-green to dark green turf. Unmowed height reaches 6-12 inches, maintained at 2.5-4 inches. Leaves are wide with blunt, rounded tips.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades (>4mm wide), flat, with blunt/rounded tips. Rolled vernation in the bud, continuous ligule modified into a fringe of hairs, absent auricles, and a broad, continuous collar region.
Root System
Moderately deep fibrous root system spreading from creeping stolons. Forms a moderate to heavy thatch layer. Fast establishment from sod, moderate from plugs.
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
Aggressively stoloniferous, spreading via thick above-ground runners (stolons) to form a dense, coarse turf
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun to partial shade (more shade-tolerant than most warm-season grasses). Needs regular watering, moderate drought tolerance with dormancy during extreme dry spells. Prefers moist, fertile soils with a pH of 6.0-7.5.
Mowing & Maintenance
Mow at 2.5 to 4 inches high every 7-14 days. High fertilizer requirements (2-5 lbs N per 1000 sq ft annually). Requires periodic dethatching due to heavy stolon production. Medium-High maintenance level.
Special Characteristics
Good shade tolerance for a warm-season grass, moderate wear tolerance but slow to recover from severe damage compared to Bermuda. Susceptible to chinch bugs and take-all root rot. Excellent salt tolerance.
Ecological Information
Introduced and naturalized widely across warm coastal regions. Provides good soil stabilization and erosion control on coastal sites. Forms monocultures easily, crowding out weeds.