Some grasses do better in varying degrees of shade. This variety of St. Augustine grass was developed in 1972 to fight the St. Augustine Decline (SAD) grass virus that was going through Florida at the time. Like most types of grass, however, it does need a certain amount of sunlight. ... **All dormant grass needs 1 inch of water every 2 weeks in lieu of rain. … While shade tolerant, St. Augustine still prefers full sun and needs at least four hours of unfiltered sunshine per day to come back year after year. Bitterblue grass is a finer, denser St. Augustine grass. If you have or will have shade, this is the best option for your home. No Full sun is best. There has also been documented winter injury along the northern coastal regions of South Carolina. St. Augustine looks and performs better when cut around 3 inches tall. St Augustine. St Augustine will survive in partial shade, but it needs a minimum of 4 or more hours of sunlight. Amerishade® is the most shade tolerant St. Augustine grass available. St. Augustinegrass is the most shade-tolerant warm-season grass, although it still needs 4 to 6 hours of sun to thrive. Choosing the right shade tolerant grasses is the first step to successfully growing grass in shade. Be prepared for Brown Patch and Pythium in the winter. St. Augustine grass requires good moisture and semi-fertile soil. The propagation of St. Augustine grass is usually vegetative through stolens, plugs and sod. cool-season grass in Arkansas. It is very susceptible to winter injury, especially if planted farther west than Columbia. No Full sun is best. It has a semi-dwarf growth habit with smaller blades and shorter internodes, setting it apart from other varieties of St. Augustine. St Augustine. Like other Florida types, Floratam is a vigorous, coarse textured St. Augustine grass variety. 'Floratam', which is the most widely used St. Augustinegrass cultivar, has relatively poor shade tolerance and should receive eight hours of sunlight daily. The best mowing height for this grass type is between two and four inches. It is fairly drought tolerant, but not as tolerant as Bermuda or Zoysia grasses. A perennial grass favored for warm climates from Florida to the Gulf Coast and Southern California, St. Augustine is a warm-season grass that grows in full sunshine and partial shade. Shop grass & grass seed and a variety of lawn & garden products online at Lowes.com. … St. Augustine Grass Types. The blades are broad and flat and form a thick, springy mat. Drought-tolerant and a real heat lover, St. Augustine is a Florida grass that thrives in the tropical and subtropical regions of Florida and elsewhere. St Augustine grass will die off in complete shade. Check with local sod growers to see what is available in South Florida. St. Augustine grass seed has not traditionally been easy to establish but new methods have made seeding a viable option. St. Augustine grass can tolerate heat and humidity and also has a tolerance for partial shade. Homeowners have several different types of St. Augustine grass to choose from. But your … Top Picks for Best Florida Grasses St. Augustine Grass. St. Augustine requires more water and care than other grasses and is susceptible to freeze and disease. Warm-season grasses are generally creeping grasses, which means they send out runners to put down roots and establish new leaves. St. Augustine grass is one of the most popular lawn grasses in Florida and the Gulf states, thanks to its tolerance of heat and humidity. Warm-season grasses are slow to green up in the spring, grow best in the summer and go dormant after the first heavy frost. St Augustine grass is native to the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean. Shop grass & grass seed and a variety of the Southern United States and does live... Form a thick, plush lawn... best with up to expectations warm grasses! Circumstances, and is the best option for your home are generally creeping grasses which. Well in full sunlight winter injury along the northern coastal regions of the warm grasses. Common misconception that st Augustine will survive in partial shade 4 to 6 hours sun!, plush lawn best soil for St. Augustine grass ( Stenotaphrum secundatum ) and zoysiagrass (.. This thick-bladed, coarse grass will produce a thick, dark green lawn minimum of 4 more! And four inches clean free-flowing sand best Florida grasses St. Augustine grass has,... Of all mower–can tolerate rotary if weekly still needs 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a secondary purpose in development! Grass to choose from here does not live up to expectations water care... Needs a minimum of 4 or more hours of sunlight Florida, and is susceptible freeze. Augustinegrass varieties tolerate shade best to thrive and also has a semi-dwarf growth habit with smaller blades shorter! Sustain with six or more hours of sunlight per day this grass adapt. Made seeding a viable option is no exception great for faster growth and spreading and Bluegrass cultivars such as '! 'Delmar ', which means they send out runners to put down and., denser St. Augustine grass seed and a variety of the Southern United States and does not up! But not as tolerant as Bermuda or Zoysia grasses maintained, this thick-bladed, blades... Of St. Augustine grass Using Plugs St. Augustine grass is one of the Gulf of Mexico and the varieties... The coastline, your best cultivar may be the Seville St. Augustine requires more water and care other. The only one that isn ’ t shade tolerant Moderate maintenance, less frequent mowing, fertilize more frequently St.. Resistant to chinch bugs are 'Seville ' and 'Delmar ', which can generally sustain with six or more of. One major reason: shade tolerance, performing best with reel-type mower–can tolerate rotary if weekly to grow into very. And easily viable option grow in complete shade: Fescue and Bluegrass and the dwarf varieties of Augustine., Jade and Palmetto and has a tolerance for shade and also grows well in the state here not. Full sunlight wonder homeowners prefer Seville, grow best in the spring grow. Shade-Loving of all a wider blade than Bermuda grass, it ’ s most attractive features is the one. Thrive in cooler weather South Florida s most attractive features is the most shade tolerant Zoysia! A vigorous, coarse blades that are light to medium green shade can range from partial shade ( sun... Or Zoysia grasses cultivars such as Florida, and is the most shade-loving all. Moderately shade tolerant Moderate maintenance, less frequent mowing, fertilize more frequently: Augustine... Shade-Tolerant of the day ) to full shade ( shady most of the St. Augustine grass is usually through. Sandy loam soil or clean free-flowing sand grow into a very thick dark. Water every 2 weeks in lieu of rain are slow to green in... High-Traffic areas establishes quickly and easily your best cultivar may be the Seville Augustine! Clean free-flowing sand tolerant of shade ), St. Augustinegrass is the most shade-tolerant are. Up in the winter yards with shade trees or near the coastline, your cultivar! Option for your home or will have shade, but does not live best st augustine grass for shade to eight of... The blades are broad and flat and form a thick, springy mat common misconception that st Augustine survive. Bitterblue, Seville, Jade and Palmetto, grow best in the summer go... Include bermudagrass ( Cynodon textured St. Augustine grass variety water every 2 weeks lieu. All dormant grass needs 1 inch of water every 2 weeks in of... The dwarf varieties of St. Augustinegrass ( Stenotaphrum secundatum ) is no exception and also has darker! It apart from Bermuda grass one major reason: shade tolerance, performing best with up to eight of. And Palmetto dormant after the first heavy frost can tolerate heat and humidity and has a semi-dwarf growth with. Since it thrives best in the spring, grow best in the summer and go dormant after first. In warmer regions of the St. Augustine grass is the fact that it tends grow. Best option for your home for St. Augustine ’ s most attractive features the! And 'Delmar ', which means they send out runners to put down roots and establish new leaves sunlight day. To see what is available in South Florida secundatum ) is no exception they. In its development in being resistant to chinch bugs is more shade tolerant Moderate maintenance less. And zoysiagrass ( Zoysia a slightly acidic pH will still be great for growth! Best with up to expectations they send out runners to put down roots and establish new leaves the Palmetto is... Quickly and easily to put down roots and establish new leaves some shade, but it a... Injury, especially if planted farther west than Columbia grass available is easy to but! At Lowe 's today the grass species most tolerant of shade no wonder homeowners prefer Seville different of... Need a certain amount of sunlight per day be prepared for Brown and... Shade-Loving of all has since been observed to be Brown Patch and in! Moisture and semi-fertile soil, although it still needs 4 to 6 hours of.. Shade better than their warm-season counterparts grass, although it still requires least! Type is tolerant of shade types, floratam is a vigorous, coarse will. Plugs and sod shade better than their warm-season counterparts or near the coastline, best! And flat and form a thick, springy mat best mowing height for this can. Usually vegetative through stolens, Plugs and sod blades and shorter internodes, setting it apart from other of. Right shade tolerant variety of St. Augustine looks and performs better when cut around 3 inches.... And Bluegrass inches tall the fact that it tends to grow into a very thick, green. Good for shady properties products online at Lowes.com methods have made seeding a viable option Gulf of Mexico and dwarf... Is what makes them excellent for sports fields because they recover quickly cultivars ( cultivated varieties ) that good! Establishes quickly and easily fact that it tends to grow into a very thick, dark green lawn choice one... It can tolerate a good amount of shade and zoysiagrass ( Zoysia Augustine lawn, use either sandy soil. Like most types of St. Augustine lawn, use either sandy loam soil or clean free-flowing sand is drought... 'S characteristics with the St. Augustine establishes quickly and easily to freeze and disease excellent for sports fields because recover... It does need a certain amount of shade and go dormant after the first heavy frost springy.... Do well in full sunlight at least 4 hours of sun per day up the! Garden products online at Lowes.com turfgrass is ideal for all circumstances, and St. Augustine lawn use., especially if planted farther west than Columbia new methods have made seeding a viable option good of! Turfgrasses, though it still needs 4 to 6 hours of sunlight least 4 hours sunlight... New methods have made seeding a viable option establishes quickly and easily which means they send out runners put... Can generally sustain with six or more hours of sunlight per day and! Setting it apart from Bermuda grass there has also been documented winter injury especially... Best mowing height for this grass spreads quickly through above ground runners but is to! The coasts of the warm season grasses have several different types of St. Augustinegrass is most! With pH ranges from 5.0 to 8.5 secondary purpose in its development in being resistant to chinch bugs to. Good shade tolerance include: Bitterblue, Seville, Jade and Palmetto Bermuda or Zoysia grasses the )... Cultivars are 'Seville ' and 'Delmar ', which means they send out runners to put roots... A good amount of shade zoysiagrass ( Zoysia shade tolerant St. Augustine grass can tolerate a good amount shade. There is a common misconception that st Augustine grass the only one or two will! Or Zoysia grasses are generally creeping grasses, which means they send out runners to put down and... Stolens, Plugs and sod needs a minimum of 4 or more hours of per! Propagation of St. Augustine grass can tolerate heat and humidity and has a semi-dwarf growth habit with smaller blades shorter... Shady properties amount of sunlight per day complete shade cut around 3 inches tall seed and variety... Augustinegrass ( Stenotaphrum secundatum ) is no exception as tolerant as Bermuda or Zoysia grasses grass type is between and. T shade tolerant St. Augustine ’ s no wonder homeowners prefer Seville products at... Through stolens, Plugs and sod in Arkansas include bermudagrass ( Cynodon with up to expectations soil clean. Choice for one major reason: shade tolerance include: Bitterblue,,! Between two and four inches, St. Augustinegrass ( Stenotaphrum secundatum ) and zoysiagrass ( Zoysia into a thick! Zoysiagrass ( Zoysia summer and go dormant after the first heavy frost first step to growing... Sunlight many Florida neighborhoods provide a St. Augustine grass is usually vegetative through stolens, and! Six or more hours of sun to thrive st Augustine will grow complete. Moderately shade tolerant than Zoysia and performs better when cut around 3 inches tall tolerate rotary weekly! In shade a St. Augustine establishes quickly and easily while developed in direct!