Does your lawn get a lot of shade? Picking the right grass can be tricky, especially when you want that beautiful green carpet but your yard doesn’t get much sun. Many people think St. Augustine grass only loves sunshine, but that’s not entirely true! It can be a fantastic choice for shady spots if you pick the right kind.
It can be frustrating when grass struggles and looks patchy because it’s not getting enough light. You want a lawn that stays healthy and looks good, but sometimes the shade makes it seem impossible. This is where knowing which St. Augustine grass varieties are shade-tolerant really comes in handy.
In this post, we’ll explore the best St. Augustine grass options for shady areas. You’ll learn which ones can thrive even with less sunlight, helping you create a lush and vibrant yard. Get ready to discover the secrets to a shady St. Augustine success story!
Our Top 5 St Augustine Grass For Shade Recommendations at a Glance
Top 5 St Augustine Grass For Shade Detailed Reviews
1. Pennington Smart Seed Dense Shade Grass Mix Bag 7 lb
Rating: 8.6/10
Tired of bare patches in your yard where the sun barely shines? The Pennington Smart Seed Dense Shade Grass Mix is here to help! This special seed blend is designed to grow thick, green grass even in the shadiest spots. It uses a smart mix of Tall Fescue and Fine Fescue grasses that love low-light conditions. You’ll get a beautiful, healthy lawn where you thought it was impossible.
What We Like:
- It grows thick, green grass in shady areas.
- It only needs 2 to 6 hours of sunlight a day.
- The mix includes fertilizer to help it grow strong.
- The grass resists disease and damage from foot traffic.
- You get a strong and durable lawn.
What Could Be Improved:
- The 7 lb bag might be too small for very large shady areas.
- It’s important to follow the watering instructions carefully for best results.
This Pennington Smart Seed mix makes it easy to get a lush lawn in those tricky shady spots. Get ready to enjoy a fuller, greener yard all season long.
2. SodPods® St. Augustine Palmetto Grass Plugs for Lawn Repair
Rating: 9.2/10
Revitalize your lawn with SodPods® St. Augustine Palmetto Grass Plugs! This 32-count pack is designed for easy lawn repair, offering a beautiful and durable solution. These plugs are farm-grown and ready to plant, promising a lush, emerald green lawn that stays vibrant throughout the warm seasons. They are a fantastic choice for homeowners looking to fill in bare spots or create a dense, carpet-like ground cover.
What We Like:
- Generous 32-count pack with 3″ x 3″ plugs.
- Covers up to 72-sq ft when planted with proper spacing.
- Features a premium, soft texture with dense growth.
- Thrives in full sun to partial shade and is very shade tolerant.
- Maintains a vibrant emerald green color in warm weather.
- Offers good wear tolerance for regular residential use.
- Heat tolerant and has good drought resistance.
- Farm-grown for strong root development and easy application.
What Could Be Improved:
- Cannot be shipped to California or Arizona.
If you’re in a region where these can be shipped, SodPods® St. Augustine Palmetto Grass Plugs are an excellent way to achieve a healthier, more attractive lawn. They provide a reliable and beautiful solution for lawn repair and enhancement.
3. St. Augustine Palmetto
Rating: 9.1/10
Transform your lawn into a lush, green oasis with the St. Augustine Palmetto | 36 Live Extra Large Grass Plugs. These aren’t just any grass plugs; they’re a premium St. Augustine cultivar designed for superior beauty and resilience. Palmetto grass is a top choice for homeowners and businesses across the southern United States, from the Carolinas all the way to California. It thrives in various climates and soil types, making it incredibly versatile.
What We Like:
- Superior Color and Texture: Palmetto boasts a richer color and finer texture than regular St. Augustine grass, giving your lawn a more elegant look.
- Exceptional Tolerance: It handles shade, cold, frost, heat, and drought with remarkable ease. This means less worry and more enjoyment of your yard.
- Durable and Adaptable: Palmetto grass has been a landscaping standard since 1994, proving its reliability in thousands of lawns. It adapts well to different weather and soil conditions.
- Plush, Semi-Dwarf Appearance: This grass offers a soft, dense feel underfoot, similar to premium varieties, but it’s less likely to develop thatch, even in sunny spots.
- Longer Green Color: Palmetto stays green longer than other St. Augustine varieties and even outlasts Bermuda and Centipede grasses. It maintains its greenness through light frosts and stays evergreen below freezing if hard frosts are absent.
- Soft Leaf Blades: Unlike some prickly grasses, Palmetto’s tapered leaf blades are soft to the touch, enhancing comfort and aesthetics.
- Excellent Drought Tolerance: Field tests confirm its strong ability to withstand dry periods.
- Outstanding Shade Tolerance: Even compared to other shade-loving St. Augustine grasses, Palmetto excels in low-light conditions.
What Could Be Improved:
- Living Plant: Like all grass, Palmetto is a living plant and requires proper care to thrive. It’s not a “miracle grass” that needs no attention.
With its impressive resilience and beautiful appearance, Palmetto St. Augustine grass plugs are an excellent investment for a stunning and functional lawn. Choose Palmetto for a lawn that truly stands out.
4. St. Augustine ‘Floratam’ 3 Inch Sod Plugs – 9 Extra Large Live Plugs – Drought
Rating: 9.3/10
Transform your lawn with the St. Augustine ‘Floratam’ 3 Inch Sod Plugs. These nine extra-large live plugs offer a robust and hardy turf grass solution. Floratam is known for its toughness, standing up well against drought, salty conditions, and even shady spots. If you’re looking for a low-maintenance yet attractive lawn, Floratam is a fantastic option to consider.
What We Like:
- Floratam is a tough grass that tolerates drought, salt, and shade.
- The plugs are extra-large, meaning faster lawn establishment.
- It’s a cost-effective choice for both homes and businesses.
- The grass has a vigorous growth habit, filling in nicely.
- Floratam is propagated vegetatively, ensuring consistent quality.
What Could Be Improved:
- The leaf blades are wider and longer than common St. Augustine, which might require more frequent mowing.
- While coarse up close, the overall lawn appearance might not be as fine-textured as some other varieties.
- Proper watering during the establishment phase is crucial and requires a specific schedule.
These Floratam sod plugs provide a resilient and attractive lawn that can thrive in challenging conditions. With a little attention during planting, you’ll enjoy a beautiful and hardy turf for years to come.
5. St. Augustine ‘Floratam’ 3 Inch Sod Plugs – 18 Extra Large Live Plugs – Drought
Rating: 8.8/10
Transform your lawn with the robust St. Augustine ‘Floratam’ 3 Inch Sod Plugs. This package includes 18 extra-large live plugs, offering a fantastic way to establish a beautiful, resilient turf. Floratam is known for its strength and ability to handle tough conditions, making it a smart choice for homeowners and businesses alike.
What We Like:
- Floratam grass is tough and grows well.
- It tolerates drought, salt, and shade, which is great for many yards.
- The stolons are large and have a distinct purplish-red color.
- Leaf blades are wider and longer than regular St. Augustine grass.
- It’s a cost-effective option for your lawn needs.
- It establishes well through vegetative propagation, meaning it grows from plant parts, not seeds.
What Could Be Improved:
- The grass has a coarser texture up close, though it looks fine from a distance.
- Mowing height needs careful attention; keep it under 1 1/2 inches, or higher if not watering during dry spells.
- New plugs need a specific watering schedule to establish properly, which requires attention.
Overall, the St. Augustine ‘Floratam’ sod plugs offer a durable and adaptable solution for creating a lasting lawn. With proper care, these plugs will establish into a beautiful and resilient turf.
Choosing the Best St. Augustine Grass for Your Shady Spots
St. Augustine grass is a popular choice for warm climates. It creates a beautiful, green lawn. But what happens when your yard has areas that don’t get much sun? You need a St. Augustine grass variety that can still thrive in the shade. This guide will help you pick the right one.
1. Key Features to Look For
When you’re looking for St. Augustine grass for shady areas, keep these features in mind:
Shade Tolerance
This is the most important feature. You need a variety specifically bred or known for its ability to grow with less than four hours of direct sunlight per day. Some St. Augustine types can handle shade, while others need full sun.
Disease Resistance
Shady areas can sometimes be more prone to fungal diseases because they stay damp longer. Look for varieties that are naturally resistant to common lawn diseases like brown patch or gray leaf spot.
Wear Tolerance
Consider how much foot traffic your shady areas get. If kids or pets play there, you’ll want a variety that can bounce back from being stepped on.
Growth Habit
St. Augustine grass spreads by stolons, which are above-ground stems. Some varieties have a denser growth habit, which helps them fill in gaps and crowd out weeds, even in lower light conditions.
2. Important Materials (What You’re Actually Buying)
When you buy St. Augustine grass, you’re typically getting one of these forms:
- Sod: This is pre-grown grass that comes in rolls or squares. It’s the quickest way to establish a lawn. You’ll be buying actual grass plants with roots and soil attached.
- Plugs: These are small, individual pieces of grass with roots. You plant them a few feet apart, and they spread over time to fill in the area.
- Seed: While St. Augustine grass is usually not grown from seed (it doesn’t grow true to type), you might find seed mixes for overseeding. However, for establishing new grass, sod or plugs are preferred.
3. Factors That Improve or Reduce Quality
The quality of your St. Augustine grass can be affected by several things:
What Improves Quality
- Healthy Parent Plants: The sod or plugs you buy come from healthy, well-maintained parent plants. Good genetics lead to a stronger lawn.
- Proper Harvesting and Transport: For sod, it needs to be harvested when the grass is healthy and kept moist during transport. This ensures the grass arrives alive and ready to establish.
- Ideal Growing Conditions: The grass was grown in good soil and with proper watering and fertilization before you bought it.
What Reduces Quality
- Poor Genetics: Using a St. Augustine variety not suited for shade will result in a thin, weak lawn that struggles to grow.
- Disease or Pest Infestation: If the grass you purchase is already infected with a disease or pests, it will struggle to establish and may spread problems to your existing lawn.
- Improper Handling: Sod that dries out or is left in a hot pile for too long before installation will die.
- Incorrect Planting: Not watering enough after planting or planting in soil that drains poorly will also reduce the grass’s chance of survival.
4. User Experience and Use Cases
Homeowners choose St. Augustine grass for shady areas for various reasons. It’s great for:
- Areas Under Trees: Many yards have large trees that cast significant shade. St. Augustine grass can create a usable and attractive lawn in these spots.
- North-Facing Walls: Buildings can block sunlight for large parts of the day. Shade-tolerant St. Augustine grass helps here.
- Creating Cooler Outdoor Spaces: A lush green lawn, even in the shade, provides a comfortable place to relax and play.
- Improving Curb Appeal: A healthy lawn makes your home look better. Even shady areas can contribute to this.
Users often report satisfaction when they choose a variety specifically suited for shade. They appreciate that they don’t have to give up on having a green lawn in those difficult spots. However, frustration can arise if the wrong variety is chosen, leading to patchy, unhealthy grass.
Frequently Asked Questions about St. Augustine Grass for Shade
Q: What is the best St. Augustine grass variety for shade?
A: The most popular and well-regarded variety for shade is ‘Palmetto’ St. Augustine. Other good choices include ‘Seville’ and ‘Amerishade’.
Q: How much shade can St. Augustine grass tolerate?
A: Most shade-tolerant St. Augustine varieties can grow well with as little as 2-4 hours of direct sunlight per day. They can also survive in areas with only filtered sunlight.
Q: Will St. Augustine grass die in full shade?
A: While these varieties are shade-tolerant, they still need some light. In areas with absolutely no sunlight, the grass will struggle and eventually die. Some filtered light is necessary.
Q: How do I care for St. Augustine grass in shady areas?
A: Water less frequently but deeply. Mow higher than you would in sunny areas to help the grass capture more sunlight. Fertilize sparingly, as growth will be slower.
Q: Can I plant St. Augustine grass seed in shady areas?
A: It’s not recommended. St. Augustine grass is best established from sod or plugs. Seed is less reliable for this grass type.
Q: Is St. Augustine grass good for wet, shady areas?
A: Some varieties have better drainage than others. Ensure your shady area has good drainage to prevent root rot, even with shade-tolerant types.
Q: How often should I water St. Augustine grass in the shade?
A: Water when the grass shows signs of stress, like wilting or a dull bluish-green color. This might be less often than in sunny areas, perhaps once or twice a week depending on rainfall.
Q: Will weeds grow more easily in shady St. Augustine grass?
A: Yes, weeds can be a problem. A thick, healthy lawn is the best defense. Regular mowing at the correct height and proper watering will help.
Q: How high should I mow shady St. Augustine grass?
A: Mow St. Augustine grass higher in shady areas, around 3-4 inches. This allows the grass blades to catch more sunlight.
Q: When is the best time to install St. Augustine grass for shade?
A: The best time is during the warmer months when the grass is actively growing, typically late spring through summer. This allows it to establish roots before cooler weather arrives.
In conclusion, every product has unique features and benefits. We hope this review helps you decide if it meets your needs. An informed choice ensures the best experience.
If you have any questions or feedback, please share them in the comments. Your input helps everyone. Thank you for reading.
I’m the recipe developer and food photographer behind Air Fryer at Tiffany’s. I’m also a wife, mom to two adventurous little boys, registered nurse, and live in the great Midwest. Join me as I show you new ways to use your air fryer that you never knew possible.