St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Variety / Cultivar
Floratam
Hardiness Zones
Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 through 10. Exhibits poor cold tolerance and enters dormancy with discoloration upon frost, greening up again in spring.
About This Grass
A coarse-textured, thick-bladed warm-season turfgrass forming a lush, dense carpet of blue-green to dark green color. Height ranges from 1 to 3 inches when maintained; can grow up to 6-12 inches if unmowed. Produces flat, thick spikes of seed heads at maturity.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse width (5-10mm), flat shape, blunt or rounded tip, blue-green to dark green color, folded vernation in the bud, prominent midvein. Short membranous ligule with a fringe of hairs, absent auricles, and continuous collar.
Root System
Moderately deep fibrous root system originating from nodes on thick stolons. Moderate establishment speed from sod or plugs. Forms a thick thatch layer over time, with moderate drought tolerance and good wear recovery through stolon growth.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to tropical and subtropical regions along the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean; widely cultivated in the southern United States and tropical climates worldwide.
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous, spreading aggressively via above-ground runners (stolons) to form a coarse, dense turf mat.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun to moderate shade (more shade-tolerant than most warm-season grasses). Needs regular watering (1 inch per week) and thrives in high humidity. Prefers moist, well-draining soils with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5.
Mowing & Maintenance
Mow at 2.5 to 3.5 inches high using a sharp rotary mower. Fertilization schedule of 2-4 lbs N per 1000 sq ft annually. Requires periodic dethatching and core aeration. Medium-high maintenance level.
Special Characteristics
Moderate wear and traffic tolerance, excellent shade tolerance for a warm-season grass, susceptible to chinch bugs, take-all root rot, and sod webworms. Does not tolerate high salinity as well as seashore paspalum or bermudagrass.
Ecological Information
Introduced to many regions globally for turf use; provides standard wildlife cover for small ground-nesting insects and animals; excellent for erosion control on coastal sandy soils due to its dense mat-forming stolons.