St. Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum
- Native to:
- Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Cayman Is., Chad, Chile, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, French Guiana, Gabon, Ghana, Guam, Guatemala, Gulf of Guinea Is., Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Liberia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southwest Caribbean, Suriname, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, United States, Uruguay, Virgin Islands, Windward Is.
Kevin Thiele (www.flickr.com) from Perth, Australia
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Genus:
- Stenotaphrum
- Species:
- Stenotaphrum secundatum
- USDA Symbol:
- STSE
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 30 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul,aug,sep,oct
- Ground Cover:
- Yes
- Lawn Substitute:
- Yes
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★★☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
dark sod webworm (Herpetogramma phaeopteralis), black patch (Paratrytone melane), Eufala Skipper (Lerodea eufala), Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), Hermes Satyr (Hermeuptychia hermes), Julia's Skipper (Nastra julia), Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela), Red Satyr (Megisto rubricata), Sachem (Atalopedes campestris), southern broken dash (Wallengrenia otho), Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton), Whirlabout (Polites vibex)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Butterflies:Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), Hedone vibex
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, well-drained sandy loam
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Commonly found in coastal areas with salt tolerance
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Primarily propagated vegetatively via stolons or sod; seed germination is less common commercially.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI