FERTILIZE SMART
Brown is the color of the year according to Pantone Color Institute. While the exact shade of your lawn may not be “mocha mousse,” it’s okay to embrace brown grass – in fact, it can be Florida- friendly. If you have grass in your lawn that you can allow to go dormant, you might consider letting your lawn go brown.
Lawns planted with turfgrasses can require a lot of time and money to maintain a lush and green landscape, especially in Southwest Florida during the dry season. This time of year in Lee County, lawn irrigation can account for 50% of the total household water use. It drains the aquifers accessed by Lee County residents quicker than they can be replenished. Unincorporated Lee County has a one-day-a- week watering ordinance Brown Grass Is Okay in place from February through May to conserve water and protect the aquifer.
Following are some alternatives to high- maintenance grasses that are native, require much less water and don’t need to be mowed frequently.
Sunshine Mimosa is a grass alternative that’s native to Florida and tolerant of drought. It spreads quickly, and four or five pots can cover up to 300-square-feet in a season. Additionally, sunshine mimosa is a “nitrogen fixer,” meaning it converts nitrogen in the atmosphere into compounds for its own use. Plus, it attracts butterflies.
Basketgrass is another native Florida alternative that attracts butterflies. It’s the most shade-tolerant groundcover and it’s resistant to foot-traffic. However, Basketgrass goes completely dormant in the winter.
Twinflower is growing in popularity as an alternative to turfgrass lawns. It’s a low-growing evergreen wildflower, and it rarely needs to be mowed. It’s native to Florida, requires little watering and thrives in sunshine and shade.
Frogfruit, or Fogfruit, is both drought and flood resistant, meaning it can handle both dry and rainy season in Southwest Florida. The native Florida alternative is a host for multiple different butterflies, but it doesn’t do well with heavy foot traffic.
Accepting a brown lawn in the winter or considering a more Florida-friendly alternative for groundcover can save homeowners time and effort, while helping to protect our environment and water supply. To learn more ways that homeowners and landscapers can protect our waterways, visit FertilizeSmart.com.
