St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass, Coastal Erosion Control
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 8-10, sensitive to heavy frost and freezing temperatures.
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae
Variety / Cultivar
Palmetto or Floratam (commonly cultivated turf cultivars)
About This Grass
Forms a thick, lush, carpet-like turf with coarse-textured blades. Bright green to blue-green color. Grows rapidly during warm summer months and goes into winter dormancy in cooler portions of its range.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse width (>4-9mm), flat blades with blunt, rounded tips. Rolled vernation in the bud, prominent veins, short membranous ligule, and absent or very small auricles.
Root System
Moderately deep fibrous root system with thick, aggressive stolons. Tends to produce thatch if over-fertilized. Establishes rapidly from sod or plugs.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to coastal regions of 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
Requires full sun to partial shade (more shade-tolerant than most warm-season grasses). Moderate to high watering needs; moderate drought tolerance with dormancy during extended dry spells.
Mowing & Maintenance
Mowing height range of 2.5 to 4 inches. Medium to high maintenance level, requiring regular fertilization, irrigation, and periodic dethatching.
Special Characteristics
Good salt tolerance making it ideal for coastal lawns. Moderate wear tolerance, slower recovery from heavy traffic compared to Bermuda, excellent shade tolerance for a warm-season grass.
Ecological Information
Introduced and naturalized widely across tropical and subtropical coastal areas. Provides good soil stabilization and erosion control on coastal slopes.