Clover or Grass?

There are many benefits to clover, a plant that is rapidly becoming popular in many places as an alternative to grass lawns. A Yard Beyond currently services multiple clients who use clover as their lawn, and as such we have experience to speak into the decision of which type of lawn to invest in. Below, we'll compare the pros and cons of each plant. Remember that, depending on your climate, soil, watering habits, location, and other factors the right lawn for you might be drastically different than for someone else.

Grass:

Pros: 

1. Aesthetic Value: Grass is a tried-and-true curb appeal enhancer as well as just all-around beautiful. The green, soft, inviting look that a well-kept grass lawn emanates is unlike anything else, including clover. There is nothing quite like driving by a beautiful grass lawn that you just can't tear your eyes away from or sitting on your deck, admiring a green, well-cut, and lush grass lawn.

2. Color: Clover is green, and if you live in the right place you could possibly achieve a deep, dark green color--but this is virtually impossible in Colorado Springs, due to the dry heat and elevation. But with a grass lawn, if you invest money (in the form of water) and time into the lawn you can end with a deep green lawn that is gorgeous and unlike anything clover can offer, at least in the Centennial State. 

3. Texture: Stepping onto a lush lawn with bare feet is a wonderful feeling and something that is limited to a grass lawn and a grass lawn only. Clover cannot compare to the texture and "feel" of grass, whether you are in your shoes or barefoot.

Cons: 

1. Expense: Watering a grass lawn is extremely expensive if you are committed to making it look nice. Additionally, even if you have the budget for dumping gallons of water on your lawn every night at some point you won't legally be able to as government water restrictions will soon come into play in Colorado. For this reason, a grass lawn might not be sustainable as a decades-long drought continues to worsen.

2. Care: For a nice grass lawn, mowing, trimming, edging, fertilization, watering, and constant care in other forms is necessary and many people simply don't have the time and/or energy to care this much about their lawn! If you have a busy schedule and simply disregard achieving a pristine lawn, clover might be the option for you.

Clover:

Pros: 

1. Drought Tolerant: Maybe the most important aspect of why people are moving more and more to clover lawns is the fact that they require very little (or no) watering and can survive in the dry, brutal heat of Colorado Springs without gallons of water. 

2. Low or No Mow: Another aspect of clover is that it very rarely needs to be mowed, if ever. Due to its growing habits, it stays at a similar length all the time so you won't have to pull out that mower very often.

3. Pollination: Clover flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other natural pollinators. Because of this, your clover will inevitably thrive in its environment and if you have flowers in your yard those will thrive too. Bringing more pollinators to your yard is never a bad thing!

Cons:

1. Look and Feel: Clover possesses non of the pros that grass has. It looks (comparably) juvenile and ugly, has a brownish-green color that doesn't nearly compare to the lush green of the grass, and feels sharp and poky when you walk around on it. Clover is low-cost for a reason--it doesn't look or feel nearly as good as a grass lawn and whenever you look out your window or walk around in your backyard, you'll notice those differences. 

Obviously, there are many pros and cons to both grass and clover lawns, and each individual will have to make their own decision regarding which material they want to dedicate themselves to. Either way, A Yard Beyond is here to mow for you! Whichever lawn you go with, remember to care for it carefully and tend to it religiously, and you will have a beautiful yard in no time!

Published August 9th, 2023.

Joep01. "4-leaf Clover (Original)." Wikimedia Commons, 23 May 2013, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:4-leaf_clover_%28original%29.jpg. Accessed 9 Aug. 2023.