Hey OP, I know these responses all generally say not to get one, and for good reason, so that might bum you out. But I just wanted to applaud you for doing your due diligence before getting an exotic pet that you are unfamiliar with. So many people out there get animals that they are unprepared for and don’t do any research before hand, and ultimately it’s the animals themselves that suffer the most. That’s how you end up with pythons in the Everglades. So it’s refreshing seeing someone with forethought and who is genuinely willing to listen to the experience of others. I hope you find a pet that you like, avian or otherwise.
It’s called St Augustine grass and it’s everywhere down there since it’s supposedly very hardy, heat resistant, and salt resistant, which is important in hot, wet, and salty Florida. And I know exactly what you mean about the spikiness; it’s not soft at all.