St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Variety / Cultivar
'Palmetto' or 'Floratam' (Common warm-season turf cultivars)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 8-10, sensitive to prolonged freezing temperatures, goes dormant and turns straw-colored in winter in cooler ranges.
About This Grass
Forms a coarse-textured, dense, low-growing turf with broad, flat blades and a vibrant blue-green to apple-green color. Tolerates shade better than most warm-season grasses.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades (>4mm wide) with flat or folded shapes, rounded or blunt tips, folded vernation, and prominent collars with membranous ligules and absent auricles.
Root System
Moderate root depth with a fibrous root system anchored by thick stolons; moderate thatch tendency and fast establishment from plugs or sod.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to tropical regions along the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Mediterranean; widely cultivated in warm, humid coastal regions.
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous, spreading aggressively via robust above-ground runners (stolons) to form a thick, coarse turf mat.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun to partial shade (more shade tolerant than Bermuda or Zoysia); high water needs during establishment, moderate to high ongoing water requirements, and moderate drought tolerance.
Mowing & Maintenance
Mow at 2.5 to 4 inches every 5-7 days; medium to high maintenance level requiring regular fertilization, watering, and occasional dethatching.
Special Characteristics
Good shade tolerance, moderate salt tolerance, poor wear and heavy foot traffic tolerance, excellent weed suppression due to dense matting.
Ecological Information
Introduced and naturalized in many coastal areas; provides good erosion control on sandy coastal soils and moderate wildlife value for ground-nesting insects.