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Does Floratam & Palmetto St. Augustine Grass Look the Same?

To the untrained or uninterested eye, few people notice any difference between lawns of Palmetto and Floratam St. Augustine grasses. Close inspection of the grass blades and the underlying sheaths on the plants suggest a difference between these two cultivars. Only when growing in the yard with varying climatic and cultural conditions might further visible differences apparent.

  1. Quick Physical Differences

    • If allowed to grown without mowing, a Floratam St. Augustine lawn creates a slightly taller, coarse carpet of green compared to Palmetto, which is considered by turfgrass horticulturists to be semidwarf. Look at the leaf blades on both grass cultivars. The internodes, distances between leaf blades, and the leaf blades themselves are slightly shorter on Palmetto, creating a slightly finer texture. The sheath at the base of the green leaf blades is distinctively pink to purplish on Floratam but consistent beige on Palmetto.

    Shade of Green

    • Color is subjective and growing conditions of both Palmetto and Floratam St. Augustine grasses affect the precise green pigmentation. Floratam grass is described as having a deep-green color with a hint of blue-green. Palmetto mainly displays a medium, deep-green color. However, Palmetto grass is a lighter green by comparison, such as reported by scientists with the University of Florida. Infertile and dry soil change the green color on all St. Augustine grasses, making them look more yellow-green or gray-green, respectively.

    Yard Evaluation

    • Both Floratam and Palmetto grasses grow and look their best in moist, well-draining, fertile soils in full sun. In parts of the yard where overhanging tree branches cast dappled shade, Floratam lawns look thin with bare spots of soil. However, Palmetto demonstrates more tolerance of light shade, staying thicker in similar conditions. In drought, expect Floratam lawns to look better compared to Palmetto lawns. Floratam, through research, remains the most drought-tolerant cultivar of St. Augustine grass, while no research on Palmetto backs marketing claims that it also is drought tolerant, according to Texas A&M University. Both cultivars succumb to common warm-season lawn grass diseases.

    Cold Tolerances

    • Floratam is the most widely grown St. Augustine grass in Florida, where winters on the peninsula are particularly mild. Palmetto demonstrates considerable resilience to browning during frosty temperatures. Floratam lawns reveal browning damage from frosts well before any natural browning occurs on Palmetto as the grasses begin to go dormant in winter. Palmetto grass should not be grown in areas where temperatures reach 5 degrees F. Floratam is best where winters are not colder than 15 F.

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Lawn Basics
  1. How Does Weather Affect the Grass?
  2. Sapphire Vs. Palmetto St. Augustine Grass
  3. Does Watering in the Sun Scorch Grass?
  4. The Best Fertilizer for a Mixture of Bermuda & St. Augustine Grass
  5. Differences Between Bitter Blue, Palmetto & St. Augustine Grass
  6. The Most Shade Tolerant Varieties of St. Augustine Grass
  7. When to Plant Palmetto Grass in St. Augustine, Florida?
  8. Will St. Augustine Grass Grow in the Mid-South?
  9. What Is the Depth of Roots of St. Augustine Grass Roots?
  10. Does Cutting the Grass Promote Growth?
  11. The Difference Between Bermuda & St. Augustine Grass
  12. Bahia vs. St. Augustine Grass

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