St. Augustine grass

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St. Augustine Grass
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Poales Family: Poaceae Subfamily: Panicoideae Genus: Stenotaphrum Species: S. secundatum
Binomial name
Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze

St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) (also known as Charleston Grass in South Carolina) is a warm season lawn grass that is popular for use in tropical and subtropical regions. It is a low to medium maintenance grass that forms a thick, carpetlike lawn, crowding out most weeds and other grasses.

Characteristics

St. Augustine is a dark green grass with broad, flat blades. It spreads by above ground rhizomes and forms a dense layer of grass.

St. Augustine is one of the most shade tolerant warm season grasses, thriving beneath partial shade of large trees, shrubs, and structures.

St. Augustine grass is one type of grass that commonly exists in most Caribbean and Mediterranean areas. It breeds best in tropical and subtropical climates. It is often seen in lagoons, marshes, shorelines and wherever there is a good amount of moisture.

Sample of Palmetto St. Augustine with St. Augustine Decline infection.

Planting and propagation

Only recently has commercially valuable viable seed for St. Augustine become available, so it has typically been propagated by plugs, sprigs, or sod. Once the grasses are cultivated, then they can propagate on their own.

St. Augustine can grow in a wide range of soil types with 5.0 to 8.5 pH. St. Augustine grasses will be in full bloom between springtime and summer. St Augustine grass produces runners that allow it to grow and spread.

Uses

St. Augustine grasses are popularly used in pastures and ranches. They are also a popular grass covers for home lawns. It rivals the reputation of Bermuda grass, although St. Augustine grasses are somewhat less drought tolerant.

Varieties

St. Augustine comes in several varieties:

• Texas Common. May be the original St. Augustine. It has fallen out of favor due to its susceptibility to the incurable St. Augustine Decline (SAD) virus.
• Floratine. Released 1959. Darker color, finer texture, tolerated lower temperatures and lower mowing.
• Floratam. Released 1972. Resists SAD and chinch bugs. Not as cold- or shade-tolerant.
• Seville. Released 1980. Finer texture than Floratam, but shared Floratam's strengths and weaknesses.
• Raleigh. Released 1980. SAD resistant and shade tolerant, but susceptible to chinch bugs.
• Palmetto. Discovered in 1988. Still experimental. Susceptible to St. Augustine Decline.[1]

References

• Stenotaphrum secundatum: St. Augustine grass, pictures of St. Augustine in its native form
• St. Augustine Grass, Texas AgriLife Extension Service
• A Question about St. Augustinegrass Cultivars
• Tips on seasonal St. Augustine lawn care
• USDA Plants Profile

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