An alternative to green lawns that helps both climate and critters

Denver, Colorado

Why do we have green lawns?  Habit, I suppose as well as perceived peer pressure from neighbors.  And yet, some 20 years ago when my partner, Judy, tore out part of our front lawn replacing it with xeriscape (drought-tolerant) plants, a local garden club gave her an award.  Instead of criticism, some neighbors have been inspired to take their lawns in several different directions, replacing grass with native plants, shrubs, trees, flower beds, and rock gardens.

Thanks to Judy’s efforts, our front yard in southeast Denver is dominated by drought-tolerant plants and trees.  Fortunately, there are no neighborhood covenants that stopped us from tearing out our mostly crab-grass lawn more than 20 years ago.  Photo by Judy Greenfield

In relatively dry Denver, the recommended approach 20 years ago was xeriscaping.  But rather than drought-tolerant plants in general, plants native to a local area are now preferred for natural landscaping, whether one lives in toasty Tucson or humid Houston.  But how does replacing a Kentucky bluegrass lawn with native plants help mitigate the climate catastrophe? 

- Native trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers take CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it in the soil.  This includes contributions from photosynthesis and decomposition of leaf litter.

- Native trees and shrubs provide shade for homes reducing energy consumption for air conditioning. They also counteract the "heat island effect" resulting from the urban concentration of concrete, asphalt, bricks, and roofing materials.

- Cumulatively, the 50 million acres of U.S. lawns require 200 million gallons of gasoline per year for mowing.  That’s a whole lot of unnecessary CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere.      

- Growing native plants eliminates the need for synthetic fertilizers.  The latter disrupt the natural relationship with plants and soil microorganisms which accelerates the release of carbon into the atmosphere.  Shipping fertilizer from manufacturer to consumer also adds to CO₂ emissions.

- In addition to the positive effects on greenhouse gas emissions, native plants virtually eliminate the need for watering.  Choosing plants that are native to the local area usually ensures that the plants can survive on the water provided by rain and snow once they have become established. 

- Native plants also provide habitat for local birds and insects which promote pollination and the health of the local ecosystem and are pleasant to have in one’s yard.  

 

In the spring, this area in front of our house is a riot of orange California poppies.  They are not natives but do well in Denver’s climate with little need for watering once established.  Photo by Judy Greenfield

 

Sounds great but maybe you are concerned that there is lots of work and expense involved in replacing a lawn with native plants.  That may be true in the short run but consider the long-term advantages:

- Required weekly or bi-weekly lawn mowing is eliminated freeing up time for other more fun stuff.

- No more watering once plants are established and no maintaining sprinkler systems.

- No need to fertilize, apply herbicides, and aerate every year. 

- You can create some aesthetic diversity in the spaces around your home instead of having a boring green lawn that looks like every other neighbor’s boring green lawn.

 

What if you live in a condominium or a covenant-controlled community that mandates standard lawns and forbids their replacement with native plants?  You can lobby the board of directors to update their rules in response to the climate crisis.  If they are stubborn, narrow-minded old shits that won’t listen to reason, find some like-minded neighbors and get your board thrown out at the next election.  Or sue their asses.  Courts are becoming more sympathetic to climate-related issues. 

To find out more about creating and maintaining climate resilient landscapes around your home, contact Wild Ones (wildones.org), a national non-profit organization that provides resources and education on this topic.  Some cities have Wild Ones chapters.  In addition, there are local organizations like the Colorado Native Plant Society (conps.org) that promote and protect native plants.