Stenotaphrum secundatum Seeds | St Augustine Grass
LATIN NAME: Stenotaphrum secundatum
COMMON NAME: St Augustine Grass
Plant Profile
Stenotaphrum secundatum, commonly known as St Augustine Grass, is a grass. St Augustine grass is a fine, broad-bladed, creeping grass of warm lawns and coasts, and its dense, blue-green, carpet-like growth has made it one of the most planted lawn grasses of the warm regions for a very long time. Grass is a fine, easy, dependable lawn plant of warm, moist, sheltered ground, and it grows on well in light shade as well as the sun. Its open flowers are a reliable stop for bees and other pollinating visitors. Together these qualities explain its long-standing appeal to gardeners.
Science & Biotechnology
Botanists studying the Stenotaphrum group regularly include Stenotaphrum secundatum in comparative work, and the species also appears in horticultural trials aimed at gardeners and growers. St Augustine grass has a steady and growing place in plant science, and grass has been studied for its broad, flat leaves and its place among the most planted of the warm-climate lawn grasses. The practical point for growers is that this plant has been observed in gardens for so long that its behaviour holds few surprises.
Uses & Benefits
St Augustine Grass works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. St Augustine grass is grown for dense, soft, blue-green lawn. Broad-bladed grass forms a fine, easy, dependable carpet of warm, sheltered garden, and it grows on well in light shade as well as the sun. Creeping runners hold soil well, and grass is a fine, generous choice for warm lawns, parks and the banks. Mature plants need little attention in a well-chosen position.
Like the best garden herbs, it rewards growers twice: once in the garden with scent and pollinators, and again in the home as a traditional household herb.
Growing from Seed
St Augustine Grass is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Broadcast the seed thinly over a fine, free-draining compost, sieve a little more compost on top, and water with a fine rose. Prick the seedlings out once they are large enough to handle, grow them on in bright light, and plant out when conditions allow.
Our Take
Being a grass, it asks for a permanent spot and repays it yearly. What it needs is basic: sun, drainage, and a little patience while it establishes.
Related Reading
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