CitraBlue St. Augustine – The New Standard in Shade Tolerance

One of the most pressing questions from people looking to put in a new lawn is, “What works well in the shade?” While that question depends on many external factors, it also depends on genetics. Some grass varieties deal with low light environments better than others and among those varieties, there are many levels of tolerance with grasses on the market. All of that said, the latest grass to come from the University of Florida’s turfgrass breeding program may in fact be one of the best in the world for tolerating shady landscapes.

CitraBlue™ St. Augustine was painstakingly bred over many years with shade in mind. In studies conducted by UF over a two year period, CitraBlue was much better than both Floratam and Palmetto® St. Augustine in head to head studies in the shade tests. What gives CitraBlue a competitive edge over both Floratam and Palmetto is not just its shade tolerance, but its improved disease resistance. You can read more about its improved disease resistance is a separate CitraBlue Turf Talk article, CitraBlue St. Augustine – Bred for Disease Resistance.

Shade was one breeding objective successfully realized by the CitraBlue breeding project. This will allow homeowners with difficult light challenges to have success in their yards*. For more information on CitraBlue St. Augustine, visit CitraBlue.com.

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*Note: All grasses need some amount of sunlight.  There are occasions where grass might not be right for a landscape due to light insufficiencies.

CitraBlue™ ‘FSA1602’ St. Augustine grass was developed by the University of Florida’s turfgrass breeding program under a sponsored Research Service Agreement with the Turfgrass Producers of Florida, Inc. (TPF). CitraBlue St. Augustine is exclusively licensed to TPF by Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc., a direct support organization of the University of Florida. CitraBlue is marketed by Sod Solutions, Inc. and is now available throughout Florida.