Variegated Buffalo Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum 'Variegatum'
Height: 6 inches
Spread: 3 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 9b
Other Names: Buffalo Turf, St. Augustine Grass
Description:
An evergreen grass with a mat forming habit; dark green foliage with cream variegation adds beautiful color and texture to the landscape; this low maintenance selection is easy and fast to grow; an excellent lawn substitute or groundcover
Ornamental Features
Variegated Buffalo Grass' attractive grassy leaves remain dark green in color with prominent creamy white stripes throughout the year on a plant with a spreading habit of growth.
Landscape Attributes
Variegated Buffalo Grass is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial grass with a ground-hugging habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;
- Spreading
- Suckering
Variegated Buffalo Grass is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- Border Edging
- Groundcover
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
- Container Planting
- Hanging Baskets
Planting & Growing
Variegated Buffalo Grass will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 8 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Variegated Buffalo Grass is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, this plant may be too tender to survive the winter if left outdoors in a container. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.
