Transcript Turf and Native Vegetation Can Be Mixed to Allow Multipurpose

Native Vegetation Alternatives to
Urban Turf
Crispin H. Pierce, Ph.D.
Why Consider Alternatives to
Turf?
• Turf is wasteful of valuable natural resources.
• Turf maintenance is expensive.
• Turf requires watering and causes stormwater
runoff.
• Turf requires addition of pesticides,
herbicides, and fertilizers, which pollute our
waterways.
• Turf mowing causes noise and air pollution.
Turf is Wasteful of Natural Resources
• 20,000,000 acres of the United States are
used as residential lawns.
• Turf installation requires removal of native
vegetation, leading to stormwater problems,
animal habitat losses, and soil compaction.
Turf Maintenance is Expensive
• Lawn installation requires vegetation
removal and grading.
• Grass must be mowed regularly.
• $5,250,000,000 is spent annually on lawn
fertilizers derived from fossil fuels.
• $700,000,000 is spent on lawn pesticides
Pesticide-Caused Losses
• The estimated pollination losses to food production from
pesticides' effects on honey bees and wild bees is $200
million per year.
• Destruction by pesticides of the natural enemies of pests
costs an estimated $520 million per year.
• Estimates of costs of fish killed per year by pesticides (614 million) ranges from $24 to $56 million.
• The total number of wild birds killed by pesticides is
estimated at 67 million. The value of this bird loss from
pesticides is $2.1 billion annually.
Turf Requires Watering
• Grass requires more water than virtually
any other crop.
• 60% of urban fresh water on the west
coast is used to water lawns.
Turf Contributes to Stormwater Runoff
•Darkened squares reflect housing project construction (1994 - 1998).
•Blue squares represent surface water complaints (1996 - 2000).
Turf Requires the Addition of
Pesticides, Herbicides and
Fertilizers
• 67,000,000 pounds of synthetic pesticides
are used on US lawns each year.
• Of the 18 major lawn chemicals, 85% are
toxic to fish.
• Chemicals used on turf are carried by
stormwater runoff into the Snohomish and
Pilchuck Rivers, home to endangered trout
and salmon.
Turf Mowing Causes Noise and
Air Pollution
• 580,000,000 gallons of gas are used for
lawnmowers each year.
• Lawnmowers pollute as much in one
hour as driving 350 miles, contributing
to respiratory problems such as asthma.
How Are Native Plants Better?
• After initial installation, they are less
expensive to maintain.
• They control and filter stormwater runoff.
• They are adapted to Northwest weather,
soil, and insects.
• They provide natural beauty and inspire
relaxation.
Native Plants Are Less Expensi
to Maintain
• Require 1-3 weedings the first year, then
once per year thereafter.
• No fuel costs.
• No pesticide or fertilizer costs.
• Reduced or eliminated stormwater costs.
• Little to no watering costs.
Native Plants Slow and Filter
Stormwater
• Deep-rooted vegetation such as trees,
shrubs, and perennial bunchgrasses absorb
up to 14 times more rainfall than turf.
• Natives store or degrade stormwater-related
pollutants before they reach natural water
systems.
• These plants help transfer surface water
back into the groundwater, not into the
overburdened storm water drainage system.
Native Plants Are
Natural
• They are resistant to insect, drought, and
storm damage.
• They prevent erosion by holding soil and by
working with existing soil organisms.
• They provide wildlife habitat for birds and
insects, including butterflies and pollinators.
Native Plants Add Beauty and Value
• Native landscaping can enhance the
visual appearance of urban
landscapes.
• People find natural areas to be both
beautiful and restful.
• Property values of landscaped homes are 520% higher than those of non-landscaped
homes.
• Consumers say they'd spend up to 13
percent more at businesses that have trees in
their landscape.
Suitable Species and Costs:
Wet areas
Hooker Willow (Salix
hookeriana)
• Very hairy flowers, does well next to water,
good for erosion protection.
• Spacing 2 feet.
• $3/two-gallon pot
Vine Maple (Acer
circinatum)
• A favorite for fall colors with its brilliant
orange and red hues. Tolerant of shade &
dampness. Grows to 20 ft.
• Spacing 4-6 feet.
• $1.50/Bare Root 12-18"
Slopes
Kinnikinnick (bearberry,
sandberry) (Arctostaphylos
uva-ursi ssp. uva-ursi)
• Grows in well-drained soils, especially sandy to
rocky ones. Full sun to partial shade, tolerates
dry soils. Its wide-spreading rooting stems make
it especially useful for stabilizing steep banks.
• Spacing 1 foot.
• $0.95/ 4" Pots
Red Osier Dogwood
(Cornus sericea)
• Produces pretty white flowers and white
berries. Good for holding soil on steep
banks and for shade for fish. The
attractive red bark makes it colorful all
year.
• Spacing 4-6 feet
• Shade tolerant, likes wet soil
Snowberry
(Symphoricarpos albus)
• Easily recognized in the wild by its clumps of
waxy, white berries (inedible). Excellent soil
binding roots for erosion control. Grows 4 - 6 ft.
• Spacing 4-6 feet, is shade tolerant, good for
steep slopes.
• $1/Bare Root 12-18"
Dry areas
Nootka Rose (Rosa
nuttalii)
• The most common bush rose, makes a
great hedgerow. Blooms May to July,
white to deep rose flowers and rose
hips. A favorite of native plant
gardeners, it grows up to 10'.
• Spacing 4-6 feet
• Likes sunny dry sites
Red Flowering
Currant (Ribes
sanguineum)
• An early blooming shrub that attracts
migrating hummingbirds. Pink to red,
drooping flowers and palm-shaped leaves.
Grows 5 to 10 feet high, best in dry areas.
Berries are blue-black.
• Spacing 3-9 feet, good in shade or
partial sun.
• $7/2 Gallon container
Ocean Spray
(Holodiscus discolor)
• Covered with masses of loose, creamy
plumes that persist into fall, leaves
become tinted red, can reach 15 to 20
feet tall. Prefers little water and can
range from full sun to full shade.
• Spacing 5-10 feet, likes partial shade
and moist soil.
• $1.25/Bare Root 12-18"
• Oregon Grape (Berberis nervosa)
• Grows in dry to moist, well-drained soils, in
sun or shade.
• ~ $3/two-gallon pot
Advantages and Disadvantages
•Greatly reduced maintenance
costs
•Provides “natural” beauty
•Slows and filters stormwater--reduction of complaints
•Provides bird and insect habitat
•Reduces chemical load into
groundwater, and the Snohomish
and Pilchuck Rivers
•Reduces noise pollution
•Fewer insect-related problems
(such as West Nile Virus)
•Native landscaping increases
property and business values
•Initial installation cost
•May not look “neat” to
some people
•Requires some knowledge
of which plant is best for a
given location
Turf and Native Vegetation Can Be Mixed to
Allow Multipurpose Land Use
References
• Impervious Surface Reduction: Parking Lot
Design, Minnesota Urban Small Sites BMP
Manual.
• Green Neighborhoods, Chapter 6, Center for
Housing Innovation, Corvalis, OR.
• Trees for the Twenty-First Century, Washington
Arbor Day Foundation.
• Alternatives to the American "Lawn" Part III: Let
Your Landscape Work for You (Not Vice Versa),
GASP.