The Uncertain Future of the American Lawn

Picture the typical American front lawn. People will often first think of white picket fences, some trees, and maybe some areas to sit. What will almost definitely come to mind is a pristine, neatly kept, green lawn of grass. While visually appealing to some, the reality is that the environmental costs of maintaining a green lawn are rather devastating.  

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, 3 trillion gallons of water are dedicated to watering lawns each year in the United States. In states rich with water, this cuts into a valuable, limited resource. In drier states, this amount is unsustainable. 

What is No Mow May? 

Over the past few springs, cities and towns have participated in a growing movement called No Mow May, where residents agree not to mow their lawns to encourage the growth of vegetation that aids in the health of local pollinators. First started in the United Kingdom, the movement was popularized by its success in Appleton, Wisconsin in 2020, where researchers from Lawrence University were able to determine that, during the month of May, unmowed lawns had three times higher bee richness and five times higher bee abundances than frequently mowed greenspaces. Following this success, residents of cities across the country have participated annually in the movement, with some municipalities suspending ordinances for lawn height for that month to encourage participation.

What are the benefits of letting lawns grow wild? 

On their own, grass lawns do not provide much tangible benefit to the environment. While grass does absorb carbon dioxide as trees do, it does so on a significantly smaller scale. Instead, the greatest potential that lawns have is to provide space for the growth of plants that encourage pollinator habitats. Lawn maintenance inherently means the elimination of “weeds” that grow naturally such as dandelions, which can provide significant benefits to pollinators. Mowing less and letting lawns naturally grow into pollination havens provides a host of environmental and economic benefits. One study on the outcome of lawn mowing and bee abundance in suburban areas indicates that mowing less saves money on gas for mowers, limits small engine emissions, and promotes lawn growth that leads to more pollinators. Areas that once provided no real benefits to pollinators or carbon dioxide reduction can now be transformed and contribute back to the health of the local environment.

Too good to be true? 

Not everywhere is well-suited to small-scale interventions like No Mow May. Drier climates, like those found in much of California and the Southwest United States, already budget their allotment of water significantly, leaving a limited amount left for the upkeep of lawn spaces. Less dry areas could still benefit from the complete ceasing of mowing, letting lawns grow untended year-round.  

There are also climate change considerations to make. The shifting climate will lead to warm seasons that begin and end earlier, extending the period during which pollination can occur and increasing the intensity of wet periods. These shifts will also depend heavily on geography; northern climates can expect temperatures to rise close to what equatorial climates experience today.  

Finally, it may be better to advocate for the elimination of lawns altogether. This is not to say that each house should have a dirt field in front of it, but homeowners (and the municipalities that enforce lawn upkeep ordinances) ought to promote the free, untended growth of lawns and incentivize the planting of local plants to promote pollinator health. Such actions are one small part of the greater effort to curb climate change outcomes on local levels.