Times are changing. Lush green lawns for the home owners might not seem quite as important in the future. Maintaining a green lawn requires a great deal of time and resources. Chemical fertilizers and pest controls are bad for the environment and are costly. Gas powered mowers and blowers pollute the air with noxious emissions and with noise pollution and also come with a large monetary expense. Thirsty lawns require large amounts of valuable water resources. Irrigation systems are expensive to install and maintain.
Wouldn’t it be nice to get rid of the lawn mower? No driving to the store for gas and oil, no maintenance or repairs, no storage issues, no polluting emissions, no noise, and, best of all, you have more free time. Wouldn’t it be nice to not have to store noxious chemicals in your garage or apply chemicals in your yard that are dangerous to people, pets and wildlife?
Replacing your lawn with native plants is an option to consider and has many advantages. Once established, drought hardy native ground covers do not require much care. No mowing or watering, no air and noise pollution and no using dangerous chemicals. They also improve the environment and offer habitat for native wildlife.
A good lawn substitute for the Houston area is Horseherb (Calyptocarpus vialis). This lovely native perennial is very common in the Houston area. You probably already have some in your yard that you, up until now, considered a weed.
Horseherb is a low growing ground cover makes a natural lawn substitute in shady areas where traditional lawns won’t grow. It’s hardy and can take some foot traffic and stays green in our mild winters. Horseherb has a sprawling habit and can grow up to 8” tall. It’s drought tolerant and, once it’s established, it can survive on existing rainfall. Although not generally needed, low growing Horseherb can be mowed. Look closely at the lovely green plants for the small yellow flowers that provide nectar for small pollinators from mid-spring to late fall.
Maybe now is the time to consider a simpler way of doing things. Take advantage of this easy to grow ground cover and allow Horseherb to slowly take over areas of your lawn. You’ll be glad you did!