What Is Wrong With Grass Lawns?
When it comes to grass lawns, the only green thing about the grass is its color.
From Media to Real Life: The Pervasiveness of the Grass Lawn
American suburbia has long been a ubiquitous setting in mainstream American media, from Netflix's hit television show Stranger Things to author Celeste Ng's New York Times best-seller, Little Fires Everywhere. So much so that the pattern of eerily similar single-family homes found in the periphery of America's cities with their omnipresent, manicured grass lawns is a familiar image to both United States residents and those who have never set foot in a streetcar suburb. Perhaps unsurprisingly, grass lawns are everywhere in American media because they are just as commonly found in real life.
According to a 2005 study by researchers from the University of Montana, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Colorado State University, in the continental U.S., the land cultivated with turf grasses amounts to an estimated 163,800 km² (± 35,850 km²). This area is three times larger than that of any other irrigated crop. These turf grasses grow not just around homes but also on golf courses and even parks. But what may seem like a familiar and innocuous feature of the American landscape, maybe even a lovely splash of nature in an otherwise concrete-dominated environment, actually hides a much thornier side.
The Impact of Non-Native Invasive Grasses on Grasslands and Native Species
To understand why that is, we should first look at what composes grass lawns in America. Let's look at a popular choice for grass lawns: the Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis). Despite its widespread distribution in the U.S. and unlike what its English name might suggest, the Kentucky bluegrass is not a native plant, and it was brought to the continent by colonial settlers.
This perennial species is causing a massive loss of native species, and it is one of the most aggressive non-native grasses taking over the grasslands in the Northern Great Plains. This invasion is part of a broader issue, as the North American grasslands are one of its most endangered ecosystems, primarily because of agricultural conversions.
High-maintenance grasses make for high-maintenance lawns.
Kentucky bluegrass's invasive nature is not its sole characteristic to cause environmental harm: compared to forage-type varieties, this grass requires more extensive irrigation systems and more nitrogen fertilization. Given the area occupied by grass lawns, it is easy to see how their irrigation can significantly impact the water supplies in the United States.
In addition, applying too much fertilizer, doing it on rainy or windy days or close to waterways, can heighten the risk of fertilizer runoff, which impacts water quality. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) encourages lawn owners to avoid overwatering their lawns and gardens and utilize a soaker hose that releases water straight into the ground.
Is there a better alternative?
The answer to this question is yes, but going for it might take changing your idea of the "perfect" lawn. For those who get to enjoy some domestic green, there are many ways to make their gardens more sustainable and maybe even prettier. You can create your little rain garden using native shrubs, plants, and trees to help the water soak into the ground. Wildflowers and organically-grown fruits and vegetables also make an aesthetically pleasing and practical addition to your outdoor space.
