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St. Augustine Grass

Stenotaphrum secundatum

Found in brackish and freshwater tidal marshes, roadsides, dunes, lawns. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

47
Good

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
About 10.8 inches
Light
Dappled sunlight, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
July to October

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 47 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Freshwater tidal marshes

Marshes along tidal rivers where the water is fresh but rises and falls with the tide.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

Coastal dunes and beaches

Open sand of beaches, dunes and the hollows between them.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

19CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Stenotaphrum

  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Anicla infectaGreen Cutworm Moth
  • Argyria gonogrammaMilky Argyria, Milky Urola
  • Atalopedes huronSachem
  • Cisseps fulvicollisYellow-Collared Scape Moth
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Hedone vibexWhirlabout
  • Hermeuptychia sosybiusCarolina Satyr
  • Herpetogramma phaeopteralisDusky Herpetogramma Moth,
  • Hylephila phyleusFiery Skipper
Show all 19
  • Lerema acciusClouded Skipper, Corn Leaf tier
  • Lerodea eufalaEufala Skipper, Gray Skipper, Rice Leafroller
  • Leucania scirpicolaScirpus Wainscot
  • Megisto cymelaLittle Wood Satyr
  • Mocis latipesSmall Mocis, Striped Grass Looper
  • Polites othoSouthern Broken-Dash, Broken-Dash Skipper
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Rivula pusilla
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Stenotaphrum

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Poaceae
Hardiness
Zones 7a–12b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Green or brown
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color
Green

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “July to October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Flower color · “Green or brown” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
  • Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth habit · “Spreads by rhizomes” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Hardiness · “Zones 7a–12b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “About 10.8 inches” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Dappled sunlight (shade through upper canopy all day); Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

Florida rankS5
Global rankG5
FL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

  • Spreads by rhizomes. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as rhizomatous. USDA PLANTS

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources