St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum · Warm-season, Perennial, C4 grass
Grass Family
Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae
Grass Category
Lawn/Turf Grass
Variety / Cultivar
'Floratam' (most common commercial cultivar known for its coarse texture, blue-green color, and susceptibility to chinch bugs)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 8 to 10. Excellent heat tolerance, poor cold tolerance (suffers freeze damage below freezing), widely used in southern coastal regions.
About This Grass
A coarse-textured, low-growing, dense turfgrass with broad flat blades and blunt tips. It forms a lush, dark green to blue-green lawn that can grow rapidly in optimal warm and humid conditions, producing thick mats.
Blade Characteristics
Blades are coarse (>4mm wide), flat, with blunt, rounded tips. Folded in the bud (vernation). Ligule is a fringe of hairs. Auricles are absent. The collar region is continuous.
Root System
Moderately deep fibrous root system originating from nodes along thick stolons. Moderate establishment speed, forms a dense sod, and exhibits moderate thatch-forming tendencies.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to the Gulf of Mexico region, West Indies, and tropical coastal areas worldwide. Thrives in tropical, subtropical, and warm coastal climates.
Growth Habit
Aggressively stoloniferous, forming a thick, coarse, carpet-like sod with flat stolons spreading rapidly above ground.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun to partial shade (more shade-tolerant than most warm-season grasses). High water needs, prefers moist soils, and has moderate drought tolerance (enters dormancy during severe drought). Prefers well-drained soils with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5.
Mowing & Maintenance
Ideal mowing height is 2.5 to 4 inches. Mowing frequency is weekly during active summer growth. Requires moderate to high fertilization (2 to 5 lbs N per 1000 sq ft per year). Moderate maintenance level.
Special Characteristics
Fair to poor traffic/wear tolerance due to coarse stolon structure. Susceptible to chinch bugs, sod webworms, and large patch disease. Good salt tolerance, excellent shade tolerance for a warm-season grass, and good erosion control.
Ecological Information
Introduced and naturalized in many coastal subtropical regions. Provides ground cover and soil stabilization in coastal ecosystems. Valued in landscaping for erosion control and microclimate cooling.