Matt's 9b field note
“Establishing from plugs for a real lawn that can take the heat — the backyard's green-carpet project.”
Background
Stenotaphrum secundatum is a warm-season turfgrass thought native to tropical Africa and the Atlantic coasts of the Americas, though its exact native range is obscure from wide naturalization. It has been a major Southern US lawn grass since the 1800s, spreading by stolons rather than seed. Numerous cultivars exist (Floratam, Palmetto, Raleigh, and others); Matt's plugs are an unspecified type.
Distinguishing traits
Spreading, stoloniferous grass forming a dense blue-green carpet with broad, coarse blades. The most shade-tolerant of the warm-season turfgrasses. Sold as sod or plugs and rarely propagated by seed.
Desert care — zone 9b
- Chill hours
- n/a — ornamental
- Cold hardiness
- Zones 8-10; browns with extended cold below about 40°F but regrows in spring.
- Heat tolerance
- Takes extreme heat well; keep mowed taller (about 2-3.5 in) in summer to shade roots and reduce stress.
- Water
- Needs roughly 1-1.25 in of water per week in summer to stay green; deep soakings, not daily sprinkles. Plugs need consistent moisture to knit together (expect ~6 weeks before first mowing); avoid waterlogging, which invites fungus.
- Soil
- Tolerates sand to clay if drained. Alkaline desert soils commonly induce iron chlorosis (yellowing); iron supplements green it up. Watch for chinch bugs in hot, dry weather.
- Sun exposure
- Full sun to partial shade; the most shade-tolerant warm-season turf option.
Where to buy
- Nature's Seed