St. Augustine grass

St. Augustine grass

Taxobox
name = St. Augustine Grass


image_width = 240px
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Liliopsida
ordo = Poales
familia = Poaceae
subfamilia = Panicoideae
genus = "Stenotaphrum"
species = "S. secundatum"
binomial = "Stenotaphrum secundatum"
binomial_authority = (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.

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. [http://cambre.biz/blog/2006/04/21/st-augustine-decline-and-palmetto]

References

* [http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/stesec.html Stenotaphrum secundatum: St. Augustine grass] , pictures of St. Augustine in its native form
* [http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/turf/publications/staug.html St. Augustine Grass, Texas AgriLife Extension Service]
* [http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/turf/staugust2.html A Question about St. Augustinegrass Cultivars]
* [http://www.northtexaslandscaping.com/blog/category/seasonal-lawncare Tips on seasonal St. Augustine lawn care]
* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=STSE USDA Plants Profile]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • St. Augustine Grass — Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked) …   Wikipedia

  • saint augustine grass — ˈȯgəˌstēn noun Usage: usually capitalized S&A Etymology: after St. Augustine more at augustinian 1. : a perennial much branched creeping grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) of the southern United States valuable as a sand binder and sod grass called …   Useful english dictionary

  • Saint Augustine grass —       (Stenotaphrum secundatum), low, mat forming perennial grass of the family Poaceae, native to central and southeastern North America and Central America and naturalized along many seacoasts of the world. It is a coarse textured, vigorous… …   Universalium

  • St. Augustine grass — standžialapė ungzdė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Miglinių šeimos pašarinis augalas (Stenotaphrum secundatum), paplitęs Afrikoje ir Šiaurės ir Pietų Amerikoje. atitikmenys: lot. Stenotaphrum secundatum angl. buffalo grass; St. Augustine… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • St. Augustine grass — noun low mat forming grass of southern United States and tropical America; grown as a lawn grass • Syn: ↑Stenotaphrum secundatum, ↑buffalo grass • Hypernyms: ↑grass • Member Holonyms: ↑Stenotaphrum, ↑genus Stenotaphrum …   Useful english dictionary

  • St. Augustine grass — a low, mat forming grass, Stenotaphrum secundatum, of the southern U.S. and tropical America, that is cultivated as a lawn grass. Also called buffalo grass. [1930 35; after ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida] * * * …   Universalium

  • Saint Augustine grass — noun Etymology: probably from Saint Augustine, Florida Date: 1900 a tropical perennial grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) that has much branched creeping stems and is used as a lawn grass and sand binder especially in the southern United States …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • St. Augustine Decline — Infected grass develops a mottled or stipled appearance with small yellow patches. Affected grass usually dies within a few years of infection.SAD is incurable. A common treatment is to introduce SAD resistant grasses, which will take over as the …   Wikipedia

  • St. Augustine — may refer to:People*St. Augustine of Hippo or Augustine of Hippo (354 430), father of the Latin church *St. Augustine of Canterbury or Augustine of Canterbury (d. 604), first Archbishop of Canterbury *St. Augustine Webster or Augustine… …   Wikipedia

  • St. Au|gus|tine grass — « guhs teen», a type of lawn grass used in warm, humid regions. It is propagated by stolons or sprigs. Also, Saint Augustine grass. ╂[< St. Augustine, a city in Florida] …   Useful english dictionary

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