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A Rebellion Is Growing Against The Manicured Lawn

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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A Rebellion Is Growing Against The Manicured Lawn

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