A conservation landscape is a garden filled with deep-rooted native plants. They can replace turf grass or exposed soil, and as a result, they stabilize slopes, reduce erosion, absorb stormwater runoff, and provide crucial pollinator habitat.

Quick Facts

  • Native plant roots can extend up to 16 feet deep, retaining more water and stabilizing the soil, preventing more erosion.
    • Even well-maintained turf grass roots are only 6 inches long, but many native plants have roots that can extend up to 16 feet! Larger, longer roots retain more water and are better for erosion control (Source: CBT Conservation Landscaping Fact Sheet).
  • On average, native plants support 15x more native caterpillar species compared to non-native plants (Source: Xerces Society).
  • Conservation landscapes can be easier to grow and cheaper to maintain than traditional landscapes (Source: Penn State Extension).

Benefits

Improved Air & Water Quality: As a replacement to traditional lawn, conservation landscapes with native plants reduce air pollution from lawn mower exhaust. Native plants also capture water moving across surfaces and down sloped areas, reducing erosion and flooding.

Maintenance Savings: Established native plants are more drought-resistant than turf grass or ornamental species. They are also adapted to the local conditions and require less fertilizer and pesticides. This saves homeowners time and money. You can find native plants best suited for your yard through the Native Plant Center.

Wildlife Habitat: Conservation landscapes create wildlife and pollinator habitats and provide more nutritious food sources than non-native plant communities and monocultures, like lawns.

Beautiful Landscapes: These gardens are as functional as they are beautiful. They often contain lots of flowering native plants bringing color and biodiversity to a yard. Some native species, like winterberry and red osier dogwood, also provide color during the winter months with their berries or colorful stems.

A steep-sloping front yard on a property in Washington, D.C. is transformed with a conservation landscaping installation consisting of native plants and mulch.4

Maintenance

  • Use mulch only as needed to help retain soil moisture and limit weed growth.
  • Weed, as needed.
  • Prune trees and shrubs, as needed, during winter.
  • Leave stems and shoots overwinter for wildlife. Wait until at least mid-April or later to cut back growth. If you choose to cut back growth, try to spread plant material around your garden.
  • Newly installed plants should be watered regularly until well established (at least one growing season). In periods of little or no rain, plants may need additional watering.

See more maintenance tips on the Alliance’s Stormwater Management page.

Additional Resources

Sources

Download the Conservation Landscaping One-Pager