What alternative to lawn should you choose?

Alternative Plants to Lawn

There are several alternatives to lawn that can be used to create green spaces. These are low-growing and creeping plants that cover the soil, form dense carpets, and require little water and maintenance. Most are sold in pots, and some—like Dichondra repens and Kikuyu—can be purchased as seeds for sowing.

Among them, we know for example:

• the Creeping Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile‘Treneague’)
• the lovely Wooly Thyme(Thymus pseudolanuginosus)
• the excellent Zoysia tenuifolia known as “Mauritius Grass”
• the Achillea crithmifolia with finely dissected grey-green foliage adorned with white umbels in summer
• the Turquette (Herniaria glabra), suited for tough conditions and dry soils
• the Phyla or Lippia nodiflora, an excellent alternative to lawn in dry soil, tolerant of foot traffic

In an era of watering and maintenance issues for grassed areas, the choice of these plants that allow replacing traditional lawn with low-maintenance and resilient varieties is becoming increasingly broad. Will you choose Zoysia, known for its resistance to foot traffic, Lippia, known for its extreme drought tolerance, or groundcover thymes, with colourful flowers that require almost no maintenance? It’s not always easy to navigate.

Hardiness, adaptation to your soil conditions, and ability to withstand foot traffic are some of the factors that are important to consider for a wise choice in our complete collection of ideal plants to replace lawn.

According to hardiness

According to the region where you plan to install it, the hardiness of your future alternative “lawn” will be important:

Hardy plants down to -15°C and beyond:

• Achillea crithmifolia
• Achillea odorata
• the Achillea tomentosa
• the Chamaemelum nobile‘Treneague’
• the Hieracium pilosella or Mouse-ear Hawkweed
• the Turquette (Herniaria glabra)
• the subulate Sagine
• the early Thymes ‘Albiflorus’ and ‘Minor’

Hardy plants down to -10 to -12 °C:

• The Zoysia tenuifolia
• the creeping Dichondra
• the Falkia repens
• the Frankenia laevis
• the Lippia nodiflora
• the Pratia pedunculata and angulata

Hardy plants down to -5 °C:

• A persistent grass of subtropical origin, Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) is sensitive to frost and its foliage turns yellow in winter if frost persists. It should only be used as an alternative to lawn in regions spared from frost.

Herniaria glabra, Zoysia tenuifolia and Kikuyu

Depending on the nature of your soil

In dry and stony soil

A dry, stony soil is the main obstacle to establishing a traditional lawn. And when you do succeed, it is very difficult to maintain a beautiful appearance in summer without resorting to expensive watering. Here are some plants that can effectively replace grass in these situations:

• Wooly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus)
• Hairy Thyme (Thymus hirsutus)
• Mauritius Grass (Zoysia tenuifolia)
• Achillea crithmifolia
• Herb Robert (Herniaria glabra)
• Phyla or Lippia nodiflora
• Kikuyu Grass (Pennisetum clandestinum)

In cool to moist soil

Replacing grass in a small lawn is also possible in cooler or even moist conditions, as well as in shade. Although grasses generally grow well there, these groundcover plants will help minimise maintenance:

• Creeping Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile ‘Treneague’)
• Creeping Dichondra (Dichondra repens)
• Pratia pedunculata

In “normal” soil conditions, that is to say neither too dry nor too wet, your choices will be broader among all the available varieties.

Thymus pseudolanuginosus and Dichondra repens

Depending on the attendance

The level of foot traffic in the areas you wish to develop should be considered when choosing the plants to replace the lawn, much like selecting flooring or carpeting. Is it occasional, low, moderate, or intensive? Identify the most frequented areas and plant the hardiest species there. In areas with little traffic, you can experiment with slightly more delicate species.

Plants resistant to foot traffic:

• The Mauritius Grass (Zoysia tenuifolia)
• the Phyla or Lippia nodiflora

For areas with moderate foot traffic:

• The Creeping Dichondra (Dichondra repens)
• The Achillea crithmifolia
• The Matricaria tchihatchewii or Lawn Pyrethrum or Creeping Chamomile
• The Woolly Achillea (Achillea tomentosa ‘Aurea’)

For areas with low foot traffic:

• The Sagina subulata has the advantage of being able to vegetate an area where grass struggles to grow, thanks to its running roots. It develops to form a uniform carpet that does not require mowing, but it is quite delicate and does not tolerate foot traffic well.
• Thymus praecox ‘Coccineus’
• Hairy Thyme (Thymus hirsutus)

Lippia nodiflora, Achillea crithmifolia and Sagina ‘Green Moss'[/caption>

My advice: in the case of very frequently used paths, I recommend installing stepping stones or Japanese pavers to avoid putting your plants under too much stress.