Trends

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Landscaping and plant businesses are scrambling to adapt to the anti-lawn movement, a once-fringe push to “re-wild” American backyards that’s taken off since gaining traction during the pandemic.

Not the same old yard and grass. The idea is simple: Rip up at least some of your grass-only lawn—which is like an empty buffet table for biodiversity—and replace it with an array of native plants, which creates a real smorgasbord. These plants need less watering and maintenance because they evolved with local climates, and pollinators love ’em, so it’s seen as a win-win…except among neighbors, who may not like the wildish sight.

These days, many drought-prone places from California to Maryland offer to pay you to rip up your grass. But amid a nationwide shortage of native seeds that stems from environmental restoration projects (like wildfire recovery), the anti-lawn movement is putting pressure on the landscaping industry:A nationwide shortage of native seeds is leading to delays, substitutions, and out-of-state imports in some landscaping projects as re-wilding demands rise faster than plant nurseries can nurse, Fast Company reported last week.
Lawn companies are rethinking their supply chains: One LA-based landscaping architecture firm even opened its own plant store in an attempt to boost the local supply of native flora, per Fast Company.

Room to grow: Less than half of US plant nurseries prioritize native species, according to Garden Center’s 2024 industry report. Some local governments are trying to help with availability—earlier this year, Ohio signed off on a new law that makes it easier for residents and grassroots groups collect and share native seeds, and New York greenlit a grant program to boost its own stash.—ML




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Death, taxes, and severely not chill homeowners associations: If you’re one of more than 75 million Americans living under an HOA, you may be caught between the rock and a hard place of neighborhood upkeep rules and local climate-conscious lawn ordinances.

One extreme case: Irena Green of Florida had to spend a week in jail in May after minor HOA violations snowballed into a lawsuit, then into a warrant for her arrest. Green was initially cited for brown grass patches, which she said stemmed from a drought last summer that led to watering restrictions in her county. Now, she’s facing thousands of dollars in legal fees and potential foreclosure.

Green’s exact situation is rare, but facing such contradictory requirements is becoming increasingly common. In Texas last summer, at least one resident was getting brown lawn warnings from her HOA while also receiving reminders from her utility company not to exceed water limits—both of which carried potential fines.

Homegrown efforts to redo lawns so they need less water also haven’t gone over well—even when local governments encourage it:A Long Island village recently tried to sue one of its residents for $2,000 after she used her town’s $350 native plants grant to re-wild her yard, which the village mayor called “hideous.” (They compromised with a 4-foot cap on the garden’s height.)
Clover and moss are becoming more popular as low-maintenance grass lawn alternatives, but HOAs usually categorize them as weeds that could warrant a fine.
Front yard “microfarms” are similarly gaining ground as a way to save money on water and groceries, but neighborhood associations typically don’t allow residents to have vegetable gardens at home.

Some states are getting involved: A new law in Texas this year will require HOAs to suspend green-lawn rules when residents are on mandatory drought watch. Colorado, Maryland, and several other states have also passed bills in recent years that force HOAs to let residents install more eco-friendly landscaping.—ML

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