St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Hardiness Zones
Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 through 10; excellent heat tolerance; poor cold tolerance (damage occurs below 25°F); goes dormant and loses color with frost; not suitable for the transition zone
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Variety / Cultivar
'Palmetto' St. Augustine (exhibits good shade tolerance and semi-dwarf growth habit)
About This Grass
Forms a lush, dense carpet of coarse-textured turf with flat, folded blades. Typical mowing height is 2.5 to 3 inches, while unmowed growth can reach 6 to 12 inches. Bright green to blue-green color during the active growing season, turning brown and entering winter dormancy in cooler parts of its range. Seed heads are flattened spikes.
Blade Characteristics
Coarse blades (>4mm wide), flat shape, blunt or rounded tips, bright green to blue-green color, folded vernation in the bud, prominent midrib, membranous ligule with a fringe of hairs, absent auricles, and broad collar region
Root System
Shallow to moderately deep fibrous root system originating from nodes along the stolons; moderate to high thatch tendency; establishes rapidly from sod or plugs; forms a thick, spongy sod
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to tropical and subtropical regions along the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Mediterranean coasts; widely cultivated in the southern United States and tropical regions worldwide
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous, spreading aggressively via above-ground runners (stolons) to form a dense, coarse-textured turf mat
Sunlight & Water Needs
Performs best in full sun but has the best shade tolerance among warm-season grasses (requires at least 4 hours of direct sun or 6 hours of dappled light); high water requirements during dry periods; moderate drought tolerance by entering dormancy; prefers moist, fertile, well-draining soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal mowing height ranges from 2.5 to 4.0 inches using a rotary mower; mow every 7-10 days during peak growth; fertilization requires 2 to 4 lbs N per 1000 sq ft annually; high thatch tendency requires periodic dethatching and core aeration; medium-high maintenance level
Special Characteristics
Moderate to low wear/traffic tolerance due to fleshy stolons; susceptible to chinch bugs, sod webworms, and fungal diseases like take-all root rot and brown patch; good salt tolerance making it ideal for coastal areas; poor cold tolerance; excellent ability to crowd out weeds when healthy and dense
Ecological Information
Introduced and naturalized in many coastal subtropical regions; provides ground cover and erosion control on sandy coastal soils; low wildlife food value compared to native prairie grasses; forms monocultures in residential lawns; rarely used in seed mixes due to its aggressive stoloniferous spread