What Is St. Augustine Grass
St. Augustine is the dominant lawn grass in Florida, the Gulf Coast, and coastal areas of the Southeast. It has the widest blades of any common lawn grass, creating a lush, coarse-textured lawn with a distinctive blue-green color. It spreads aggressively by stolons (above-ground runners) but does not produce viable seed, so establishment is always from sod, plugs, or sprigs.
How to Identify St. Augustine
The blades are flat, wide (5 to 8mm), and have rounded tips rather than the pointed tips of bermuda or zoysia. The stems are thick and purple-tinged at the base. Stolons are large and visible, running along the soil surface. The overall appearance is coarser than other lawn grasses, which some homeowners love (tropical look) and others dislike (less refined than bluegrass or bermuda).
Shade Champion
St. Augustine tolerates more shade than any other warm-season grass. Varieties like Palmetto and Seville perform well with 4 to 5 hours of direct sun, and some newer cultivars handle as little as 3 hours. This shade tolerance is the primary reason homeowners in the South choose st. augustine over bermuda, which requires full sun.
The Chinch Bug Problem
Chinch bugs are the most serious pest for st. augustine lawns. These tiny insects suck plant fluids from stems, causing yellow patches that spread during hot, dry weather. Floratam was developed with chinch bug resistance but newer strains have overcome that resistance. Regular monitoring and prompt treatment with bifenthrin is essential for st. augustine lawn health.
