Native Grass Alternatives to Lawns

By Audrey Pongs

There are few things more American than the concept of expansive lawns. We love our dutiful blades of grass, all lined up and trimmed, just waiting to receive picnic blankets and soccer balls. We love grass so much that lawn care is a multibillion-dollar industry. Grass permeates our culture—countless movies, advertisements, and jokes reference this icon. However, grass is under stress in California. With the ongoing drought, the governor and local water districts have issued water-use restrictions, a main portion of which are aimed at turf grass designated as non-useful. But does this mean we will have to give up our lawns? Fear not! California native grasses and sedges are here for the win. 

I stand on the shoulders of the experts (my plant-loving father and other industry professionals) to bring several recommendations for easy lawn replacements. An obvious option is to tear out lawns and fill the area with hardscape, but this is a bad idea. By doing so, we lose the numerous benefits of living lawns. This seemingly useless turf cools the environment, allows water to return to underground reservoirs, provides refuge for insects and small animals, and aids in protecting mental health. Consider replacing your turf with native plants, particularly grasses and grass-like plants that require less water and fewer resources to maintain.

Meadow Plants

When recommending native grasses for a project, we roughly divide them into two categories: meadow plants and lawn replacements. The term “meadow” is used liberally here and applies to an untamed area primarily composed of grasses. A meadow needs minimal maintenance (usually annual) and anticipates occasional foot traffic. A lawn replacement expects to be regularly mowed and anticipates moderate foot traffic. 

Visually beautiful, the “meadow” grasses are excellent for commercial areas, medians, planters, parks, you name it. The following plants are some personal favorites:

Muhlenbergia rigens – Deer Grass

When it comes to landscaping, I am in love with Deer Grass. It has gorgeous texture and movement, and is  evergreen. As far as care goes, this grass is bulletproof. It adores the sun, so plant in an area with full sun or some very light shade. When it comes to water needs, Deer Grass is not a thirsty plant. Once established in a landscape, almost no additional water is needed besides once a week in the summer to keep the foliage green. Trim to a low dome when the weather begins to cool off and fertilize if needed. Deer Grass can be grown successfully throughout California, from coast to desert to mountain.

Calamagrostis foliosa – Reed Grass

Reed Grass is another favorite of mine that I feel is underutilized but well suited to a landscaped environment. A coastal plant, it does prefer partial shade in hot inland climates (such as my hometown of Riverside). We do successfully grow it in full sun at the nursery, but it requires regular watering, which defeats our purpose here. In winter, water once a week or to supplement seasonal rains. For summer, water twice a week as needed in dry climates. Trim to a low dome when the weather begins to cool off and fertilize if needed. C. foliosa can be grown successfully throughout California.

Reed Grass (Calamagrostis foliosa) Image: Audrey Pongs

Aristida purpurea – Purple Three Awn

Purple Three Awn is an evergreen grass that loves life. This grass is excellent for commercial spaces and homeowners who want to fill space in their yard without maintenance. It readily reseeds where it is planted and gives that beautiful rolling prairie effect when planted in mass. Established plants require very little water, possibly once or twice a month during the summer to keep the foliage green. This is a shorter grass, growing 12 feet tall. It can be regularly trimmed to give the effect of a lawn or left whole and cut back to roughly 3 inches tall when the weather begins to cool. A. purpurea can be successfully grown throughout California.

 

Purple Three Awn grass
Purple Three Awn (Aristida purpurea) Image: Audrey Pongs

Lawn Replacements

For those of us who aspire to maintain the more traditional lawn look, here are two excellent choices. When switching to a native lawn,  there are concessions to be made regarding appearance. While your water and fertilizer needs will be drastically reduced, expect to face some instances of rust, die out from pet use (pee spots), uneven color, and thinning in shady areas. The following are the most bulletproof recommendations. 

Festuca Rubra – Red Fescue

Based on personal experience, Red Fescue is the best option for a usable lawn, particularly the cultivar ‘Molate.’ It is remarkably tolerant of stressors such as foot traffic, pets, and rust. To prevent summer dormancy, water as needed, but otherwise water once a month until the weather cools. Mow regularly or leave F. rubra to grow into a softly tousled meadow look. Many sources will say that the full sun of inland climates is too extreme for this grass to grow well, but we have seen success both at the nursery and for a project we supplied outside Hollister, CA. 

Red fescue grass along path, rock in the middle and trees/hills in distance
Red Fescue (Festuca rubra) Image: Audrey Pongs

Carex praegracilis – Meadow Sedge 

While not technically a grass, Meadow Sedge closely imitates the look and feel of a traditional lawn when mowed. This sedge is best suited to coastal and temperate climates. Without regular water during the summer, it will go dormant in warm climates. From experience, for the best success in a landscape plant a cultivar such as ‘Chisai,’ as cultivars have more resistance to rust and drought. 

Meadow grass
Meadow Grass (Carex praegracilis) Image: Audrey Pongs

Plants provide us with so much! Cooler temperatures, cleaner air, a soft place to sit and walk, and to see urban landscapes give way to dirt and concrete would be devastating. By using native plants, we can reduce our water demands and still have a beautiful place to live. Whether you choose to leave your new lawn wild or trimmed and tidy, these and many more amazing native options are readily available. 

Even during these trying times, I say grow more grass!


Audrey Pongs – Plant Enthusiast and Nursery Consultant  

20 Comments

    1. What grass will work in your valley depends on where you are. Greenbelt Growers had success with Carex praegracilis – Meadow Sedge in the Central valley near Hollister, which is very hot and dry. You can find the appropriate grass option for your area in Calscape.com by going to the advanced search and looking for grasses.

    2. We’ve had great success here in Sacramento with our Native Mow Free sod blend from Delta Bluegrass. It’s a combo of Idaho, Molate and Western Mokelumne Fescues. Ours has done great under the shade of 2 – 60′ tall pecan trees.

    3. Carex tumulicola works in the shade for me near Sacramento. Carex praegracilis works for me in sun or partial shade.

  1. Where do we get them? And why dont they make conventional seed mixes the way they do for turf grasses at department home improvement stores?

    1. Check out Calscape’s profile on buffalo grass here: thttps://calscape.org/loc-California/Buffalo%20Grass%20(Anthoxanthum%20nitens%20ssp.%20nitens)?newsearch=1

  2. For lawn replacement, I am currently recommending Kurapia, a sterile form of lippia that has less flowers and therefore less bee stings. It gets about one inch high and stays green most of the year.

    1. Kurapia seems to have very long trailing stems. Do these make it hard to walk on, ie are they ‘trippers’? And, how often do the edges need to be trimmed to keep it within its designated area? Thanks!

  3. Hello Yolo,
    When it comes to seed many natives are difficult to cultivate (gather and germinate). There are some companies that sell a native sod mix but liners or 4 inch will be your most available and successful option. I hope this helps!

  4. In desperate need of guidance in Palm Desert where the water company continues to restrict our water usage drastically. Turf abatement is destroying the aesthetics of our neighborhood with rocks and more rocks used to carve out spaces where small amounts of water can be applied to a few scruffy looking plants with no regard for design.
    I recently lost a huge area behind my house(6,700 sq. ft.).Now all I see are rocks. The HOA president had no experience in landscaping and was unwilling to allow homeowners’ input.
    Where can we find help with design? Are there community consultants who could help? The next to go will be our front lawns. I know we need to conserve water but who can guide us in this matter. Certainly covering our ground with landscaping and tons of multi-colored rocks is not the answer. Despite much research, I can find no willing source of assistance. SWH

    1. We suggest that you use calscape.org, which allows you to put your address in and see which native plants work in your specific location. You can also filter for grasses.

    1. For a lot of foxtails and weeds, it’s best to sheet mulch first, then replant. If it’s just a few, hand pull, then use a good groundcover–which one depends on your site. Calscape.org has good recommendations.

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