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Clover hugs the ground, rarely growing higher than two to eight inches.
Because of this, many homeowners switch their lawns to clover lawns.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Microclover has small leaves and few flowers, while white clover has larger leaves and many white flowers.
If you’re not ready to give up the turf,clover can be overseededinto an existing turfgrass lawn.
Clover lawnsdon’t tolerate shade well, though.
Clover stains clothing and it attracts stinging insects.
A moss lawn never needs mowing.
It always remains low to the ground, for the look of freshly cut grass.
This dense plant spreads quickly and grows well on slopes and hillsides.
Moss grows well in poor soil and doesn’t need fertilizers.
Moss prefers shady conditions, though, sogrowing mossin sunnier areas can be a challenge.
Moss doesn’t stand up well to heavy foot traffic, nor does it grow well in high-alkaline soil.
Ground Cover
Aground cover plantrapidly spreads to cover large expanses of ground.
As aperennial plant, ground cover grows for at least two full seasons.
Most ground cover plants grow so dense that they block weeds.
Most ground covers stick close to the ground, allowing other plants to take visual precedence.
Ground covers tend to be fairly low-maintenance.
Some ground covers look scrappy and dry when they go dormant.
This irregularly shaped grass needs little mowing or clipping and is an excellent lawn alternative for slopes.
Buffalo grass' extreme-depth root systemup to six feet deeptightly knits this grass to the ground.
This makes buffalo grass an excellent choice for naturallycontrolling soil erosion.
This warm-season grass stands up well to drought conditions.
Growing in self-contained clumps, buffalo grass won’t give you the look of a smooth, uninterrupted lawn.
It’s visually closer to the look of real grass than any other lawn alternative.
Artificial grass never needs watering, mowing, weeding, or fertilizing.
Its color remains the same throughout all seasons.
Long used a lawn alternative for sports fields, artificial grass is tough and durable.
It’s also partially made from recycled materials like tires and carpeting.
Installing artificial grassis difficult.
Artificial grass becomes hotter than natural turf.
Crumb rubber cushioning used under artificial grass may leach hazardous chemicals.
Sedge
Sedge or Carex plants are perennials that spread well due to theirrhizome root systems.
Rhizomes are often associated with invasive plants like bamboo.
With sedge plants, the rhizomes create a tough mat just below ground level that resists foot traffic.
Popular sedge plantsinclude two-toned, coppery-brownJapanese sedge, as well as wispy brownNew Zealand sedge.
With over 2,000 varieties, sedge plants provide various color choices.
They are tough and they thrive in wet or dry soils.
Fluffy and often unruly, most sedges don’t approximate the look of a traditional lawn.
Some types, like nountain sedge (Carex montana), remain fairly shortabout six inches high.
As a slow-grower, carpetgrass can take a couple of seasons to fully replace a lawn area.
Like other lawn alternatives, carpetgrass is tough and hardy, forming a tight mat-like sub-layer.
Carpetgrass works well in difficult conditions.
Carpetgrass requires frequent mowing, up to once a week in the summer.
So, planting carpetgrass instead of traditional turfgrass won’t spare you from mowing.
Sedum
Sedums are a favorite alternative to traditional turf lawns because they stay low.
Up to 500 varieties of sedums exist.
Popular species are white sedum, cascade stonecrop, blue spruce, and Japanese stonecrop.
The alternative name for sedumsstonecropis apt because sedums thrive in dry, rocky conditions.
Most sedum varieties are deer-resistant.
Not allsedum varietiescan stand up to foot traffic, especially flowering sedums likeAngelina stonecrop.
Xeriscape
Xeriscape landscapingis a blend of organic and inorganic elements.
Xeriscapes eliminate the need for irrigation because self-sustaining plants can be added.
No chemicals are necessary, and xeriscape plants rarely brown because they are highly drought-resistant.
Unless designed with care, xeriscapes can look bare and austere.
The elements used in xeriscapescacti, rocks, shrubsdeter foot traffic.
Pea gravelcomes in various colors including gray, cream, tan, gold, and white.
Crushed gravel is angular and gray.
Installing pea gravelis simple and DIY-friendly.
Gravel is extremely foot-traffic-ready; it’s possible for you to even park vehicles on it.
Gravel is low maintenance, not zero maintenance.
Despite the presence of landscape fabric, weeds will eventually develop.
Pea gravel shifts and scatters.
Crushed gravel remains in place better than pea gravel.
The best ground covers to replace grass include juniper, iceplant, and periwinkle.
Sedums and buffalo grass work well as grass replacements.
Clover closely resembles traditional turfgrass but requires little maintenance.
Clover is one of the most budget-friendly alternatives to grass.
Microclover seed costs about $20 to $30 per pound.
One pound of microcover seed covers up to 1,000 square feet.
Buffalo grass is a low-maintenance grass substitute.
It thrives in dry conditions, grows in poor soil, and doesn’t need mowing.
Synthetic Turf: History, Design, Maintenance, and Athlete Safety.
Health impacts of artificial turf: Toxicity studies, challenges, and future directions.Environmental pollution.
Top 10 Reasons to Convert to Xeriscape.
City of Mesa (Arizona).
Should You Move Over to Clover?University of Colorado Extension.
