If you’re a Southern Texas homeowner, you may have noticed an abundance of bermuda grass and St. Augustine home lawns. As warm season grasses, both types not only perform really well in hot, humid climates along the coast—they thrive in them. St. Augustine is a highly sought after turfgrass type for home lawns in Southern Texas for many reasons:
- St. Augustine is a warm season turfgrass that truly thrives in the southern two-thirds of the United States.
- St. Augustine has a high salt tolerance that continues to perform well along coastal lines.
- It holds its color in high temperatures and periods of drought, which are big factors for lawns in Southern Texas.
- St. Augustine is the most shade tolerant warm season turfgrass variety available, so if you have a lot of shade you’ll need to manage, St. Augustine is your best option.
- St. Augustine grows a very dense canopy, which makes the grass durable to foot traffic and it outcompetes weeds easily.
If you’re interested in St. Augustine grass for your Southern Texas home lawn, the next step is to decide the method of installation you want to go with and which cultivar of St. Augustine you want installed. St. Augustine can be installed as sod, grass plugs and sod pods. Grass plugs and sod pods take a lot longer to grow in, but it can be done. Click here to learn more about grass plugs or visit our sod pods page for more information. Next, let’s get this out of the way: a lot of homeowners are interested in purchasing St. Augustine grass seed because installation seems easier. A St. Augustine lawn cannot be grown via St. Augustine grass seed because there is simply no such thing.
Regardless of which installation method you choose to go with, here are a few of the best St. Augustine grasses for Southern Texas.
Palmetto St. Augustine
Palmetto® St. Augustine is the most sold patented turfgrass in the world with more than two billion sq. ft. sold. It’s the #1 selling patented turfgrass for a reason and its characteristics and qualities make it an ideal option for South Texas conditions. Palmetto is a stunning emerald-green turfgrass with a soft, lush texture that will make any homeowner want to walk around on it with bare feet. Its texture is finer when compared to other St. Augustine cultivars. Palmetto also features outstanding heat, cold, drought, shade and frost tolerance. Bred as a semi-dwarf variety, Palmetto is best maintained at a mowing height of 2–2.5 inches in height. It is also resistant to the Sugarcane Mosaic Virus, a viral disease that has the potential to devastate turfgrass.
Palmetto St. Augustine Characteristics
- Ideal Use: Home lawns and commercial landscapes
- Mow Height: 2–2.5 inches
- Blade Width: 8–9 mm
- Wear Tolerance: Good
- Injury Recovery: Very Good
- Shade Tolerance: Very Good
- Drought Tolerance: Good
Cobalt St. Augustine
Cobalt® is a newer variety bred to withstand tough Southern conditions. Its standout trait is superior drought and salt tolerance, which makes it excellent for coastal South Texas homeowners. Cobalt also thrives in the heat, tolerates shade well, and demonstrates improved resistance to turf diseases that often appear in humid climates.
Cobalt St. Augustine Characteristics
- Ideal Use: Residential lawns, commercial landscapes, coastal properties
- Mow Height: 2–3 inches
- Blade Width: Medium (6–8 mm)
- Wear Tolerance: Very Good
- Shade Tolerance: Very Good
- Drought Tolerance: Excellent
- Salt Tolerance: Excellent
Sola St. Augustine
Sola™ is a fine-textured dwarf St. Augustine variety that’s well-suited to Southern Texas homeowners seeking a low-maintenance option. It grows slowly with a dense, carpet-like habit, which reduces mowing needs. Sola performs equally well in sun and shade, tolerates heavy traffic, and provides excellent disease and insect resistance—important in South Texas’ humid environment.
Sola St. Augustine Characteristics
- Ideal Use: Residential lawns, shaded landscapes, high-traffic areas
- Mow Height: 1.5–2.5 inches
- Blade Width: Fine (5–6 mm)
- Wear Tolerance: Excellent
- Shade Tolerance: Very Good
- Drought Tolerance: Good
- Maintenance: Reduced mowing, moderate inputs
