Why you should be thinking about native lawns this winter

The holiday season is adorned with poinsettias, holly and mistletoe, but it is not well known that some of these species are native to the land we walk on. In decorating homes for the holidays, it’s important to use varieties that grow successfully in our local environment. Another step toward promoting native species: planting a native lawn.

A well-watered, turfgrass lawn is a suburban staple. But groups such as ReWild Long Island are leading a push toward native lawns, or native gardens, seeded with species that originated locally. They may not be the current convention, but they are more environmentally sensible and require less maintenance than do turfgrasses.

Turfgrass lawns are among the most irrigated crops in the United States. Almost 8 billion gallons of water go to residential outdoor water use nationwide each day, mostly for landscape irrigation, and a huge amount of it is wasted because of overwatering, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Devoting this much water to maintain a green lawn, when native plants could survive with natural rainfall and minimal water input, is counterintuitive. Converting to a native lawn saves water and money, through lower water bills.

Bacterial biodiversity has been shown to increase in lawns with native plants compared with conventional turfgrass. This leads to improved soil nutrient availability and prevents nitrogen and phosphorus from leaching out of the soil. It reduces the need for fertilizer inputs which have damaging ecosystem effects. Besides driving bacterial richness, native plants promote animal biodiversity. Incorporating native, non-grass species such as forbs that are allowed to flower on lawns helps encourage pollinator visits, preserving these helpful species.

Despite the benefits of native lawns, they remain controversial on Long Island. This summer, a New Hyde Park resident was nearly fined because of perception of her native lawn’s aesthetic. The case was resolved, and no fee imposed as long as the lawn remained under 4 feet. Such pushback may make people cautious about growing native lawns. However, there is a wide variety of native plants, many of which do not reach 4 feet.

Growing a native lawn does not mean disregarding care for it. In fact, this sustainable landscaping practice showcases an increased stewardship of plants and the animal species that interact with them. A Melbourne-based study, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology in 2017, found that planting lawns with native species helped urban participants develop a stronger sense of place, contributing to their understanding of and care for their local environment. A deeper sense of land stewardship within our community can lead us, in turn, to have greater urgency about protecting our planet.

While the process of growing these lawns may seem daunting, there is infrastructure to convert spaces to native lawns. The Long Island Garden Rewards Program, for example, offers up to $500 for adding native plants to your lawn. They give a list of native plants that can be used.

This holiday season, let's lay the foundation for more environmentally conscious lawns.

This guest essay reflects the views of Julianna Rose, a Cornell University senior from Wantagh studying plant science.