By Jenny Whidden | Daily Herald
Several suburbs will see hundreds of unwieldy lawns next month as homeowners partake in “No Mow” programs, which exempt residents from local mowing codes in the name of providing shelter and food for early spring pollinators.
The hands-off lawn care practice, which originated in England, has been gaining traction across North America over the last five years, and suburban communities such as Westmont, Glenview, Lombard and Northbrook are gearing up for another year of “No Mow” programs, including “No Mow ’til Mother’s Day” and “Slow Mow May.”
While the trend has been celebrated for bringing awareness to the needs of pollinators, local experts say in reality, “No Mow” only helps the critters marginally. The key is the trend’s origin. Organizers say a spring lawn that grows longer and lets flowers bloom provides habitat, nectar and pollen for pollinators like native butterflies and bees. But turf grass and common flowering weeds are not native here in America.
Fine fescue, a species of grass native to Europe, is one lawn alternative being studied at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Conservation scientist Becky Barak said it’s a good option for those looking for a one-to-one substitute for traditional turf grass because it looks a lot like regular grass — but it doesn’t have to be mowed as frequently and it doesn’t need as much water. | Courtesy of Chicago Botanic Garden
“(In England), the idea makes a lot of sense. Things like dandelions and clover and a lot of those things are actually native over there, and are adapted to the pollinators,” said Jamie Viebach, a horticulture educator with Illinois Extension’s Naperville office. “Over here, those things are all considered weeds — they’re not native. Our pollinators are not adapted to use them as well.”
And while the habitat provided after a month of not mowing can offer shelter for pollinators and other insects, the critters will nevertheless be in for a rude awakening under the mower’s blades come June 1.
Scientists at the Chicago Botanic Garden are researching a wide range of alternatives to traditional turf grass. The alternatives, which include fine fescue, native sedges and custom mixes of natives grasses and wildflowers, are sampled in these plots. | Courtesy of Chicago Botanic Garden
Diane Blazek of the National Garden Bureau, a nonprofit gardening education organization based in Downers Grove, added that leaving your lawn unmowed for the month could also reap unforeseen consequences, such as encouraging pests and weeds, and even harming your turf grass.
That’s not to conclude the practice is entirely unhelpful. Experts say “No Mow” does bring awareness to the plight of pollinators struggling to find food and shelter in an increasingly urbanized world.
“Pollinators are in decline not only in Illinois but worldwide,” according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. “Habitat loss, pesticide use, mites, competition from nonnative species and diseases are killing pollinators.”
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