Which St. Augustine Grass is Best for Your Lawn?

by Jamie Tedder December 17, 2024

St. Augustine grass is a widely used warm-season grass, valued for its adaptability to diverse conditions, including drought-prone areas and partial shade. Its resilience and versatility make it a staple in Florida lawns and other subtropical regions.

While St. Augustine grass is common, it comes in many cultivars, each tailored to specific needs such as shade tolerance, pest resistance, or low-maintenance care. By understanding the unique characteristics of these varieties, you can make an informed decision that guarantees a healthy lawn.

Understanding St. Augustine Grass

St. Augustine grass is a warm-season turfgrass distinguished by its coarse texture, medium to dark green color, and wide adaptability. It grows horizontally with stolons that spread across the lawn, creating dense coverage. Because it tolerates heat and humidity, it is favored in regions like Florida.

This grass thrives with 4-6 hours of sunlight daily but is more shade-tolerant than other warm-season grasses. Varieties like CitraBlue and Palmetto offer better tolerance for lower light conditions. St. Augustine grass is also salt-tolerant, ideal for coastal areas.

While it’s less traffic-tolerant than bermudagrass, its moderate tolerance is suitable for residential lawns. Proper maintenance, including proper watering, regular mowing, and fertilization, will help this grass thrive and maintain its signature lush appearance.

5 Best Types of St. Augustine Grass

There are over 20 varieties of St. Augustine grass; each developed for specific climates, soil types, and levels of resistance to pests and diseases.

ProVista St. Augustine

ProVista is an improved variety of St. Augustine grass. It features a dense growth habit, a dark green color, and wide, coarse blades. This grass is engineered for reduced mowing and improved weed resistance, making it a low-maintenance choice for busy homeowners. ProVista prefers full sun but also performs well in moderate shade. Its wear tolerance and injury recovery are recommended for lawns with moderate foot traffic. For optimal health, it should be mowed to a height of 3 to 4 inches.

Palmetto St. Augustine

Palmetto is a fine-textured variety with medium green blades and exceptional shade tolerance, making it one of the most versatile choices for residential lawns. In colder months, it stays green longer than other St. Augustine varieties, though extended frost can trigger dormancy. Palmetto is more resistant to common lawn diseases affecting St. Augustine and tolerates heat and drought effectively. The ideal mowing height for Palmetto is 1.5 to 2.5 inches.

Seville St. Augustine

Seville is a dwarf variety known for its compact growth habit and darker blue-green color. It adapts to a wide range of soil pH levels, from acidic to alkaline, making it suitable for coastal and inland regions. Once established, this variety requires minimal maintenance, but it is less traffic-tolerant and may develop thatch in high-use areas. Seville is appreciated for its ease of care and ability to thrive in shaded areas. It should be mowed to a height of 2 to 3 inches.

CitraBlue St. Augustine

CitraBlue stands out with its unique blue-green hue and finer leaf texture, adding visual appeal to any lawn. It requires less mowing and fertilizer, making it a low-maintenance and practical option. CitraBlue St. Augustine offers heightened resistance to common lawn issues such as chinch bugs and gray leaf spot diseases. Its lateral growth pattern helps it recover quickly from wear, making it an excellent option for areas with moderate foot traffic. For best results, maintain a mowing height of 2.5 to 3.5 inches.

Floratam St. Augustine

Floratam is one of the most widely recognized St. Augustine varieties, developed to resist the St. Augustine Decline (SAD) virus. It thrives in full sun and is well-suited for hot, humid climates. Its wide blades and slightly purple stolons give it a distinctive appearance. While it performs well in sunny conditions, it is also slightly shade-tolerant. Floratam should be mowed to a height of 3 to 4 inches for optimal health.

Choosing the Best St. Augustine Grass for Your Lawn

Selecting the best St. Augustine grass variety depends on the specific needs of your lawn. Palmetto and Seville are ideal for shaded areas due to their excellent shade tolerance. If your lawn experiences heavy foot traffic, CitraBlue and Floratam offer better wear tolerance and quick recovery. ProVista and Floratam thrive in full sun, while low-maintenance lawns benefit from the reduced mowing and fertilization needs of ProVista and CitraBlue.

Understanding your lawn's unique conditions, including sunlight, soil type, and intended use, will help you choose the perfect variety to achieve a healthy lawn with dark green color and narrow leaf blades.

Establishing and Maintaining St. Augustine Grass

Proper care is essential for maintaining a lush and resilient St. Augustine lawn. This grass can be established successfully through sod or plugs, with SodPods grass plugs offering faster establishment and better resistance to challenging conditions. Grass plugs are an excellent choice for small repairs or new lawns. Fertilizers like NutriPod, with its 17-1-10 NPK ratio, are formulated to accelerate growth and support lawn health.

When planting, keep the soil moist and well-prepared to encourage root establishment. Water the new grass for 10-14 days to support growth. Once established, proper mowing practices, regular watering, and fertilization are critical for lawn maintenance. Mow according to the recommended height for your grass variety, avoid overwatering to prevent fungal diseases, and use chemical weed control sparingly to keep your lawn healthy.

Final Thoughts

St. Augustine grass offers a beautiful and durable lawn solution in warm and subtropical regions. By understanding the differences between varieties like ProVista, Palmetto, Seville, CitraBlue, and Floratam, you can select the best option for your needs and provide a lush, green coverage that elevates your home’s outdoor appeal.

For premium grass plugs and other lawn care solutions, visit SodPods to kickstart your lawn transformation.

Jamie Tedder

Jamie surrently serve as Vice President on the board for Turfgrass Producers of Florida. He currently oversees the production of all grasses throughout all farms in Florida at Bethel Farms. He is actively working with top grass breeders, researchers, producers and end users from public and private institutions around the country to stay up to date on current industry developments. Being a University of Florida graduate, he has applied that knowledge to over 22 years of experience growing spectacular grass!