Clover lawns: Why they're trending online and what experts say are their benefits

Homeowners typically spend this time of the year refreshing their yards and killing any weeds that start to pop up.
However, letting these weeds grow freely in your yard might just be better for local pollinators and the environment. Some people in the US are even converting their lawns to purely clover lawns.
It's a trend that's recently popped up on social media apps such as TikTok. But are clover lawns something that could be a viable option in Central Pennsylvania?
www.fox43.com/article/tech/sc...
WPMT-FOX43's TH-cam channel is a hub for the best of FOX43 News and its investigative reports, top headlines, and digital exclusive content: / fox43 SUBSCRIBE: / fox43

[@tombyorn8278]

Well I'll be darned. Almost my entire 2.5 acres is Clover now. I gave up. Good to know it's good for the environment.

[@cynthiakeller5954]

My 4 acre lawn has plenty of clover, dandelions and just what needs to grow. We keep it mowed since it has plenty of grass. Love all the polllinators visiting my lawn. Plenty of butterflies, dragonflies, frogs, toad, all sorts of birds, snakes, rabbits and some bigger critters too. Plus bats at night.

[@TheCloverSculptor]

Great segment! As the owner of "The Clover Sculptor" channel, where I showcase the beauty and benefits of clover lawns, I couldn't agree more with the points made in this video. Clover lawns require less maintenance, are drought-tolerant, and can remain lush and green throughout the year. They're beneficial for pollinators and can thrive without the need for fertilizers or frequent watering. While they might seem "weedy" to some, remember that this perception has more to do with changing trends than the inherent value of clover. Let's embrace more environmentally friendly and sustainable practices in our lawns!

[@teemmm538]

Interesting 😀 I'll check out your channel 😀

[@miked6335]

He's right about clover being part of the lawn back in the 50's. Bags of grass seed actually included clover seeds. Lawns back then could take kids playing on them daily without any ill effect. Nobody needed built-in irrigation systems to keep their lawns green. Clover became 'undesirable' when Scotts developed Weed and Feed which didn't distinguish between dandelions and clover. I've been adding clover to my lawn to strengthen it but my only solution to weeds is now hand pulling. I just noticed that Scotts and Pennington both sell grass/clover seed mixtures. But in the Q&A of their product pages, they dodge the question of can you use weed killers.

[@morrismonet3554]

Butyrac 200 will kill the weeds without harming the grass or the clover.

[@miked6335]

@@morrismonet3554 Thanks for that info!!

[@tylerk.7947]

Wouldn’t recommend a straight clover lawn. It’ll be a mud patch in the winter. Use a mix of grass and clover. Use no mow grass if you want less upkeep. Other suitable plans for lawns are violets, prunella and yarrow to name a few. I love a lawn with a mix of plants in it

[@benton-benton]

I would love to have more violets, and have been trying for years. I want a purple yard in the early spring. But this year only a few violets have come up. I've let clover take over my yard for about 10 years now and love it. It keeps the dandelions down, but still have to mow the dandes until they are done. After that, I hardly mow at all and in June/July I have a white yard lol.

[@MissLibertarian]

You can’t walk on them barefoot if the pollinators are bees, but the deep roots require less water once established.

[@ardalla535]

I planted clover over my entire yard right after construction had wiped out all the native grasses. First year I had about half clover coverage. Second year, only about 10% clover. Clover does not compete well with our native Bermuda grass.

[@emersonblake7]

Bermuda grass isn't native to the USA.

[@tarmach523]

I’m all for it but my neighbours are not!

[@charleywalker2982]

👍

[@morrismonet3554]

Total clover lawn is a losing proposition. Just add clover to an existing lawn. It will give the grass nitrogen.

[@randygreen007]

I agree with him for the most part but he’s skipping over the fact that clover will bring in bees and if you’re allergic or just don’t like getting stung I’d always wear shoes and long pants. I grew up with lots of clover in the lawn and couldn’t imagine not having it. From looking for the elusive 4 leaf to making a chain out of the flowers to give to your crush clover is way more rewarding than just grass.

[@Offgridgremlin]

He mentions pollinators multiple times