Written and checked by the USA Sod team · Published November 5, 2026
St. Augustine is the usual pick for a Florida lawn. For salt, shade and traffic, pick zoysia. For full sun and heavy use, pick Bermuda. For a big lot with no sprinklers, pick Bahia. St. Augustine is the most used lawn grass in Florida. Florida grasses differ a lot in where they do well, so match the grass to your yard. USA Sod commonly offers all four in Miami: check your ZIP code for today's list.
Look at your yard first
- Shade. Shade can limit which grasses will work there.
- Salt. Near the coast, salt reaches a lawn through irrigation water, seawater seeping into the ground and spray off the ocean.
- Soil. Many coastal Florida soils are sandy with a high pH. Test your soil before you plant.
When to lay sod in Miami
For St. Augustine in south Florida, the best window is late fall through spring. Avoid extreme heat or cold if you can, and hold off when a freeze is in the forecast. Bermuda and Bahia can be planted in any season across much of Florida.
For the first 7 to 10 days, water new sod several times a day in short cycles so it does not dry out. By three to four weeks the sod should be fully established, and from then on you can water only when it needs it.
St. Augustine
St. Augustine needs water to stay green and healthy, and in long dry spells you may have to water it on top of the rain. It wears poorly and does not stand up to steady foot or car traffic. If your yard gets heavy foot traffic, look at zoysia or Bermuda instead.
- Floratam is the St. Augustine grown and planted most in Florida. It does not hold up well where it gets less than 6 hours of sun a day. Chinch bugs have become a major Floratam pest.
- Palmetto handles full sun and partial shade, but not deep shade.
- CitraBlue is the newest University of Florida cultivar. It takes drought better than Floratam and Palmetto, and its flatter, denser growth lets it compete better with weeds than Floratam. Pick it if dry spells worry you.
Zoysia for salt, shade and traffic
Zoysia handles shade, salt and traffic well.
- Empire is the most common zoysia in Florida and grows well across the state, but large patch disease can hit it.
- Icon makes strong sod, has very high salt tolerance and builds up little thatch next to other zoysias. Large patch has not been seen in Icon. For a yard that gets salt spray, look at Icon.
The trade-off: zoysia loses its green color fast in a drought.
Bermuda for full sun and heavy use
Bermuda stands up very well to wear, drought and salt, but it does poorly in shade. Give it full sun.
- Celebration takes traffic well and handles a little more shade than other Bermudas.
- Bimini is very new on the Florida market.
Bahia for big lots without sprinklers
Bahia suits homes on big lots or acreage, and any yard with no sprinkler system. Know what you are getting: today's Bahia varieties do not make a dense, carpet-like lawn, and Bahia takes salt less well than zoysia, Bermuda or St. Augustine.
Ordering sod in Miami
USA Sod commonly offers Bahia, Bimini Bermuda, Celebration Bermuda, CitraBlue St. Augustine, Emerald Zoysia, Empire Zoysia, Floratam St. Augustine, Icon Zoysia and Palmetto St. Augustine in the Miami market. Availability changes week to week, so enter your ZIP code for today's list, or see the Miami page.
Miami quotes use 400 square feet per pallet, and sod is sold in full pallets because it is cut to order. Delivery is a flat $200 no matter how many pallets you order. Installation is offered in Miami, priced per pallet; enter your ZIP code for your rate.
Late fall to spring is the window for St. Augustine in south Florida, so plan your Miami lawn now in the lawn designer or call 1-866-886-2763.
Sources
