Conditional — Some Areas
St. Augustine grass (zones 8-10) reaches only part of Missouri (5b-8a): zone 8 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
One zone short — what would close it
St Augustine Grass is hardy to zone 8, and the warmest ground in Missouri is zone 7 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Missouri winter. To grow it here, grow st augustine grass in a container and move it under cover for the coldest weeks, or give it a greenhouse.
Season extension and overwintering under cover both work at this margin. How to buy the weeks →
Zone math from 8-10 (plant) against 5-7 (Missouri). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Missouri spans zones 5b-8a, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and cold-air pockets nudge it further. Enter your address and we'll score st augustine grass against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
St Augustine Grass Needs
- USDA Zones: 8-10
- Frost-Free Days: 150+
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 1 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Missouri Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 27 - Apr 2
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 31 - Nov 7
- Annual Rainfall: 34-50 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay loam, Loess
Plant Zone Range (zones 8-10)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant St Augustine Grass in Missouri
The frost window
Across Missouri, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 212-day window you can count on — up to 225 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
Winter standing
Missouri runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for st augustine grass, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether st augustine grass is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Missouri; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Crawford County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: USDA PLANTS Database. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says st augustine grass survives winter in part of Missouri, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
St Augustine Grass wants 150+ frost-free days; a typical Missouri site sees ~219 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
St Augustine Grass tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5-8.5) — 3.5 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Missouri. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Missouri soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Missouri site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 31.8% of Missouri as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. St Augustine Grass sits mid-range for drought tolerance, so either extreme can cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Missouri soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
St Augustine Grass in Missouri — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 8-10 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 27 - Apr 2 to Oct 31 - Nov 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for St Augustine Grass in Missouri
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Missouri growers also need to think about:
Highly variable weather with late frosts and early heat
Heavy clay soils in many regions
Ozark soils are thin and rocky
Growing st augustine grass here specifically
St Augustine Grass needs sharp drainage and sends medium roots hardy to about 50°F; in Missouri, about 31.8% of soils are poorly-drained (SSURGO), and standing water is what actually kills it.
Build st augustine grass up on a coarse, free-draining mound so its crown never sit in saturated soil. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Missouri grower, not just st augustine grass — is covered on the Missouri growing guide.
Timing shifts within Missouri
Missouri isn't one climate. In Crawford County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 10 — roughly 12 days later than the recorded state median — so plant st augustine grass to your county's window, not the statewide date.
St Augustine Grass needs about 150 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Crawford County — Missouri’s shortest season at 192 frost-free days — clears that by 42 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Missouri. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Missouri’s 115 counties the frost-free season runs from 192 days in Crawford County to 258 days in Pemiscot County — a spread of 66 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Missouri county sees 219 frost-free days, leaving st augustine grass about 69 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). St Augustine Grass's 150-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Missouri Cooperative Extension
For Missouri-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for st augustine grass, the canonical source is MU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is St Augustine Grass native to Missouri?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents St Augustine Grass as native to Missouri. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing St Augustine Grass in Missouri
When can I plant St Augustine Grass in Missouri?
Missouri's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for St Augustine Grass, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Missouri and publishes no fall establishment date for it — check its hardiness range against your own zone before treating it as a permanent planting.
What hardiness zone is St Augustine Grass grown in across Missouri?
Missouri spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). St Augustine Grass carries a range of zones 8-10, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Missouri site have?
A typical Missouri site sees ~219 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). St Augustine Grass needs 150+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Crawford, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is St Augustine Grass native to Missouri?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents St Augustine Grass as native to Missouri. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
How should I amend the soil for St Augustine Grass in Missouri?
St Augustine Grass tolerates pH 5-8.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.5-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Missouri site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will St Augustine Grass actually grow on my specific land in Missouri?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores st augustine grass against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Missouri
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores st augustine grass against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Missouri st augustine grass averages can't show:
We read public map data around Missouri — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Missouri st augustine grass average
Explore More
Growing guides for st augustine grass
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
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