Types of St. Augustine Grass Compared: Which One Should You Plant?
The main types of St. Augustine grass compared: Floratam, Palmetto, Raleigh, CitraBlue, Seville, and more on shade, cold, chinch bugs, and how to tell which you have.
The short version
- Not all St. Augustine is the same. Varieties differ a lot in shade tolerance, cold hardiness, and pest resistance.
- Full sun? Floratam is the classic, but it needs 6+ hours of sun and handles cold poorly.
- Shade or colder spots? Palmetto and Raleigh hold up better. CitraBlue and Seville are strong shade picks too.
- Dwarf types like Seville are mowed lower (2–2½ in.) than standard types (3½–4 in.).
Why the variety matters
If you're buying sod, fixing a shady corner, or trying to figure out why your lawn struggles in one spot, the variety is a big part of the answer. A sun-loving variety under a live oak will thin out no matter what you do. A cold-sensitive one takes freeze damage that a hardier one shrugs off. Matching the variety to your yard saves years of frustration.
Side-by-side comparison
Ratings below are from University of Florida IFAS Extension's St. Augustinegrass guide, which tests these varieties side by side.
| Variety | Type | Shade | Cold | Chinch bugs | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floratam | Standard, coarse | Fair | Poor | Resistance mostly lost | Needs 6+ hours of sun. Gray leaf spot. Easily stressed by atrazine above 85°F. |
| Palmetto | Standard to semi-dwarf | Very good | Very good | Good | Disease in very humid weather. A lighter green. |
| Raleigh | Standard, coarse | Good | Very good | Poor | Chinch bugs, large patch, and gray leaf spot. Can yellow in summer heat. |
| CitraBlue | Low-growing | Very good | Fair | Slight | Can build thatch. Newer, so less long-term research. |
| Seville | Dwarf, fine | Very good | Fair (cold sensitive) | Susceptible | Chinch bugs, webworms, and thatch. |
| Bitterblue | Standard | Good | Good | Slight | Few major weaknesses noted. |
| ProVista | Standard | Very good | Fair | Unknown | Grows slower than Floratam. Darker green. Bred to tolerate glyphosate. |
Source: UF/IFAS, St. Augustinegrass for Florida Lawns. Performance on the Texas Gulf Coast is broadly similar, but local conditions vary.
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How to choose
Mostly full sun
Floratam is widely grown and handles heat and sun well. Just know its weak spots: it struggles in shade, takes cold damage, and chinch bugs have adapted to it. Plan on preventive insect control. See chinch bugs.
Shade from trees or the house
Palmetto, CitraBlue, Seville, and ProVista rate very good for shade. Even shade-tolerant St. Augustine needs a few hours of sun, so very deep shade may need a groundcover or mulch bed instead.
Colder spots or north of the coast
Raleigh and Palmetto rate very good for cold. That's why Raleigh is common in North and Central Texas, but watch it closely for chinch bugs and fungus.
A finer, lower lawn
Seville is a dwarf type with finer blades, mowed at 2 to 2½ inches. It's attractive but needs more attention to chinch bugs, webworms, and thatch.
Mowing height by type
- Standard varieties (Floratam, Raleigh, Bitterblue, ProVista): 3½ to 4 inches. Palmetto does well at 3 to 4 inches.
- Dwarf and low-growing varieties (Seville, CitraBlue): lower. UF recommends 2 to 2½ inches for dwarf types.
Everything else on Turf Method assumes a standard variety. See how tall to mow St. Augustine.
How to tell which St. Augustine you have
You can't be certain without asking whoever installed it, but these clues narrow it down:
- Very wide, coarse blades and long runners with a bluish or dark green color point to Floratam, the most common type in Gulf Coast neighborhoods. Its runners often have a reddish-purple tint.
- Softer, slightly narrower blades in a brighter emerald green, doing well in partial shade, suggests Palmetto.
- Short, fine blades packed tightly in a low, dense mat is a dwarf type like Seville.
- Thriving under trees where other St. Augustine thins out? Likely a shade type such as Palmetto, CitraBlue, or Seville.
Builders' lawns and older yards are often Floratam or Raleigh. If you're patching, take a plug to a local sod farm and ask them to match it.
Buying sod or plugs
- Ask the sod farm or garden center which variety it is. Availability varies by area and season, and "St. Augustine" alone doesn't tell you much.
- Match what you have when patching. Mixing varieties can leave visible color and texture differences.
- Not sure what's in your yard now? Start with St. Augustine vs. Bermuda, then compare blade width, color, and shade performance against the table above.
Laying new sod? Read how to care for new St. Augustine sod.
Common questions
What are the types of St. Augustine grass?
The common types are Floratam, Palmetto, Raleigh, Bitterblue, CitraBlue, Seville, and ProVista. They differ in shade tolerance, cold hardiness, chinch bug resistance, and mowing height.
Palmetto vs. Floratam: which is better?
Floratam handles full sun and heat well but needs 6+ hours of sun and takes cold damage. Palmetto rates very good for both shade and cold, so it's the safer pick for yards with trees or colder spots.
Does St. Augustine come in a dwarf type?
Yes. Seville is a dwarf St. Augustine with finer blades, mowed at 2 to 2½ inches instead of 3½ to 4. It needs more attention to chinch bugs, webworms, and thatch.
Everything in my St. Augustine program
The fertilizers, weed killers, fungicides, and tools I actually use on my own lawn, with links to buy.