Floratam is an improved St. Augustine grass that was released jointly in 1973 by the University of Florida and Texas A & M University. Floratam is the most widely produced and used St. Augustine grass in Florida. It is a coarse-textured cultivar that has poor cold and shade tolerance relative to other St. Augustine grass cultivars. It does not persist well in environments that receive less than 6 hours of sunlight daily. It grows vigorously in the spring and summer. When first released, it had UF-documented chinch bug resistance, although that has largely been lost over time; chinch bugs are now a major pest of Floratam. It is also susceptible to gray leaf spot and other diseases. ‘Floratam’ is intolerant of atrazine herbicides when temperatures are above 85°F. It should be mowed to a height of 3.5–4 inches.