St. Augustine Turfgrass 101

The Southern United States house some of the world’s most beautiful golf courses. But just because a course is green, does not mean they’re all using the same turf. In Florida, one of the golf capitals of the U.S, there’s a special type of grass that tends to be a matter of contention when it comes to golf courses.

Native to the Gulf of Mexico area, the West Indies, and Western Africa​ and found throughout southern and coastal regions of the United States​, in the early 1890s, St. Augustine grass became popular in Florida, hence its namesake after the city of St. Augustine.

Since its popularity, and Florida being golf capital, superintendents began using St. Augustine grass in the roughs. While the grass is almost impossible to play on, its soft and spongy texture makes it perfectly challenging for a player in the roughs.

St. Augustine​

Stenotaphrum secundatum

St. Augustine Is vegetatively propagated – produced via stolons, plugs, sod pods, or sod. St. Augustine grasses do not produce enough viable seed for commercialization, so there is ​no such thing as St. Augustine seed for lawns​. For this reason, seed is not produced for lawn propagation use and it is therefore not available for sale at your local garden center.​

St. Augustine Cultivars

The most common cultivars of St. Augustine grass include:​

1.Floratam​

2. Palmetto®​

3. CitraBlue™​

4. Seville​

5. Raleigh​

6. Sapphire

Floratam™​

Floratam™ is a popular choice for homes in Florida for its light requirements and love of warmer climates, not to mention its attractiveness in the landscape. 

CitraBlue™

CitraBlue® St. Augustine grass was developed by the University of Florida​

Characteristics include:​

• Deep blue-green color​

• Less vertical growth – minimal mowing/maintenance​

• Shade tolerant​

• Versatile​

• Disease resistance

Seville​

Seville is a blue-green semi-dwarf variety with excellent horizontal compact growth and great color retention​

Characteristics include:​

• Blue-green color​

• Semi-dwarf variety​

• Excellent horizontal compact growth​

• Shade tolerant

• Characteristics include:​

• Well suited for tropical and subtropical regions.​

• Fair Drought Tolerance​

• Good Heat Tolerance​

• Excellent Cold Tolerance​

• Fair Shade Tolerance​

• Fair Wear Resistance

Maintenance and Care

1. Best Management Practices (BMP)​

2. Fertilization​

3. Mowing​

4. Irrigation​

While St. Augustine grass can be perfect for roughs and generally low maintenance, it’s typically better to leave the maintenance to the professionals. Unless you are a golf course superintendent or a maintenance professional, you should not be touching the course. If you’re looking for experienced professionals to fill your staff and the resources to train and keep them, visit: DTE Golf®