St. Augustine grass is established by either sod, plugs, or occasionally by seed. It produces a thick thatch over time and is slow to grow back from a severe verticutting. It does not take to overseeding. It has a limited use in our state for low elevation lawns which receive moderate shade conditions where a brown winter turf is acceptable. Newer varieties are currently under university testing.
Zoysia grass has both stolons and rhizomes.
Leaf-blades are borne at right angles to the stalk. Ligules have short dense hairs. There are several species of Zoysia japonica, which is common Japanese lawn grass. It is shade tolerant, but not as much as St. Augustine. It is quite slow to establish, especially from plugs.