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Scientific: Stenotaphrum secundatum (Synonmym: Ischaemum secundatum)
Common: Saint Augustine grass, other less common names include carpet grass, couchgrass, buffalo grass, quickgrass, wiregrass, mission grass, pimento grass, Charleston grass.
Family: Poaceae (Paniceae tribe )
Origin: Sandy beaches, swamp and lagoon edges, island streams, lakes, marshes and along roadsides within tropical and sub-tropical Atlantic coastal regions of Africa, South America, the Caribbean and the southeastern United States. Also occurs in coastal regions of the Mediterranean Sea.

Ecological perspectives: Saint Augustine is viewed as a pioneer species of coastal environments, a seashore pioneer of sorts. It is one of seven different annual and perennial species in the genus Stenotaphrum. The center of diversification for species in the genus Stenotaphrum is generally thought to be the Indian Ocean region, followed by transoceanic dispersal.

Invasive alert: Saint Augustine grass has naturalized throughout much of southern North America, Europe, northern and southern Africa, China, Hawaii, many Pacific islands, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia.

Pronounciation: Sten-oh-TAF-rum see-kun-DAY-tum

Hardiness zones
Sunset 11-24
USDA 7-11

Landscape Use: Residential lawn as a warm season turf grass, erosion control, pastures and ranches.

Form & Character: Low, compact, vigorous, coarse and blunt, tough, a bit unrefined as turf grass goes.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, herbaceous, genetically robust (many diploid and polyploid demes), photosynthetically C4 perennial grass, moderately vigorously spreading by stolons forming a dense mat cover.

Foliage/Texture: Variable color ranging from light green to dark or bluish green, leaves clasp around the stem, lamina blades are flat and smooth on both surfaces tapering to a blunt rounded tip; coarse texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Spicate, with spikelets partially embedded in the rachis, each spikelet is made up of a pair of floral bracts, one of which is much smaller than the other, and two tiny florets; fruit ('seeds' - grains or caryopses) are dark brown, egg-shaped (ovoid), tiny.

Seasonal Color: None

Temperature Frost/freeze intolerant, but tolerant of Phoenix heat.

Light: Full sun to light to moderate shade.

Soil: Tolerant of most soil types, but does best in a light, well-drained soil. Fertilize mostly during warm season at 2 to 4 lbs N per 1,000 ft² per year. Single application rates should range from 0.5 to 1 lb of N per 1,000 ft² when applied during the summer growing season.

Watering: Regular and frequent water especially during the warmer times of year from April until October.

Pruning: Frequent mowing during warm season. Recommended mowing height is 2 to 3.5 inches.

Propagation: Asexually propagated by stolons, plugs, sprigs, or sod.

Disease and Pests: Large patch (Rhizoctonia solani), gray leaf spot (Pyricularia grisea), take-all root rot (Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis), satellite panicum mosaic virus (SPMV), Panicum mosaic virus (PMV). Disease susceptibility influenced by management practices, such as irrigation and fertilization.

Additional comments: Saint Augustine grass is mostly compared to Bermuda grass for use as a warm season lawn in Phoenix. Comparatively, it is superior to Bermuda grass in its greater shade tolerance, but it is not quite as heat, cold or drought tolerant as Bermuda grass. Its coarser textural appearance may not appeal to all Phoenicians who place a higher value on finer-textured turf grass species. Saint Augustine grass is also notable for its high salt tolerance, but low tolerance to foot traffic. Thus, it is not recommended for use as a sports or play turf.

There are many named cultivars including:

'Captiva' - released in 2007. Developed by the University of Florida for its resistance to the southern chinch bug and its dwarf profile, which requires less mowing.

'CitraBlue' - a newer cultivar developed at the University of Florida and was released in 2018. It possesses a unique blue-green color.

'Classic' - a proprietary cultivar released in the early 2000s by Woerner Turf. It has a dark green color and good cold tolerance.

'Floratam' - released in 1973. Developed during an academic collaboration between the University of Florida and Texas A&M University. Resists the viral infection from St. Augustine decline (SAD). Not as cold- or shade-tolerant.

'Floratine' - released in 1959. Has a darker color and finer texture. Tolerates lower temperatures and needs less mowing.

'Palmetto' - released in the mid-1990s. A smaller, dwarf, lighter green grass.

'Raleigh' - released in 1980. Tolerant of cold, but susceptible to insects and disease.

'Sapphire' - released in 2004. Selected from Australia for its dark blue-green leaves and purple stolons and rapid lateral growth.

'Seville' - released in 1980. Similar to 'Floratam', but with a finer texture.

'Sir Walter' - released in 1996. Developed for arid conditions with traits such as heat and drought tolerance.

'Texas Common' - Most similar to the natural species, susceptible to the SAD virus.

'Variegatum' - in 1993 it was given the prestigious Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticulture Society. It is a creeping evergreen grass with stripped white leaves.

Other taxonomic tidbits: Saint Augustine grass is sometimes confused with centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) and kikuyu grass (Cenchrus clandestinus).