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The Buzz About Bee Lawns

Bee lawns are an option to support pollinators. In Pennsylvania, wild bees pollinate the majority of summer crops.

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Updated:

March 17, 2025

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Bee lawn; Photo credit: Susan Rihn

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Conservation of these insect populations is essential to our food diversity and overall health. Research has shown that pollinator numbers increase in direct correlation with the increase in natural habitats.

Pollinator gardens, ground spaces that are designed and planted with nectar-rich flowering plants to attract, feed, and protect the pollen movers, have generated a lot of well-deserved attention as a great option to increase natural pollinator habitats. Another option does exist, though: the pollinator lawn ("Bee Lawn").

Bee Lawns are lawns made up of turf grasses blended with low-growing perennials that bloom again after mowing. This type of lawn is maintained at a length of four inches or higher to allow the growth of pollinator-friendly grass and plant varieties and encourage flower blooming. The non-traditional flowering lawn celebrates plant biodiversity and becomes a meadow-like pollinator haven for food, cover, and nesting.

Research has shown that lawns that are seeded with a grass and flowering plant mixture can feed dozens of species of bees that would otherwise go hungry. A three-year study, commonly referred to as "the bee lawn" project, done by the University of Minnesota's Turfgrass Science Lab and Bee Lab, showed that lawns with the low-growing flowering perennial Dutch white clover supported at least 55 species of bees. The study also found that species count increased with each additional flowering perennial planting. These findings created quite a buzz in Minnesota, resulting in the creation of the Lawns to Legumes Project. Begun in spring/summer of 2020, this $900,000 grant program provides money directly to residents to plant bee lawns. Other states are also reacting to pollinator study results, as at least 28 states have instituted pollinator health laws that address habitat development and protection.

Not ready to leave the orderly hive for this less formal meadow quite yet? There are additional advantages to Bee Lawns:

They require less maintenance because the non-grass plants, especially if they are native to the area, do not need as much water and are more tolerant of site and soil issues
They save on time, money, and fossil fuels since many transition to at least a two-week mowing schedule; and
The colorful foliage and flowers bring a pleasing visual component that adds complexity to your landscape.

Once you decide upon adding a Bee Lawn to your property, there are a few points to consider when planning:

Notify neighbors and consult housing plan policies and local ordinances so you can ensure there are no compliance issues. You may also want to install signage for identification and education purposes.
Identify a location. Although most wild bees are not aggressive, especially when foraging, it is beneficial to identify a separate site for a bee lawn for pollinator protection.
Decide on grass and flowering plant types. During the plant planning phase, consider the type of Bee Lawn that will best suit your site needs and maintenance goals. There are many different looks that can be achieved based on the flowering height of the non-grass plantings. As an example, if you are interested in keeping a tidy Bee Lawn, you may choose to plant only one low-growing perennial, such as Dutch white clover, and keep a more traditional low grass border surrounding the flowering lawn. Alternatively, you may have a larger area that you allow to grow taller and less structured so you can choose several flowering plant types of varying heights.
Since moving to a home "in the country" with close to four acres of property, I have been looking for alternatives to the traditional grass forward lawnscape. Over the years, we have established several higher maintenance options like foundation planting mulch beds, chicken coop and run areas, two large crop gardens, and several auxiliary flower and herb beds, but I was still looking for more efficient and beneficial uses of our grass lawn areas. At times, we found ourselves even considering adding goats, so the news of these low-maintenance/high-benefit Bee Lawns seemed especially buzz-worthy to me! As a result, our own Bee Lawn Project has taken flight.

If you are interested in starting a Bee Lawn, I suggest that you check out University of Minnesota Bee Lab.