Clover lawn

A clover lawn is composed of clover and can be used as an alternative to grass lawns. It requires less maintenance than a traditional lawn and utilizes less water. White clover is the plant most frequently used. Red clover may also be used.

Trend
Clover lawns have grown in popularity, along with other grass alternatives, becoming trends shared across social media platforms like TikTok. As a trend, clover lawns gained widespread attention in 2023, being Google's most searched for home improvement. Historically, particularly in the early 1900s, clover was often intentionally included in turf mixes. After the widespread adoption of herbicides for lawn maintenance, clover eventually became undesirable. Then, clover was typically dealt with as a weed before its newfound resurgence.

Usage and maintenance
White clover, commonly used in clover lawns, attracts pollinators and can have a beneficial effect on local nectar production. It is also a nitrogen fixing plant. White clover is able to withstand damp environments and can be desirable in areas prone to flooding. It also functions as groundcover and can reduce a homeowner's reliance on fertilizer, leading to its desirability among environmentally conscious consumers. To maintain a height of about 3 to 4 inches, it can be mowed every four to six weeks. Other homeowners allow the clover to grow taller and only mow it a few times a year. Clover is also more robust in alkaline soils than grass. A technique, when clover is preferred to grass, is achieved by adding lime to the soil to encourage the clover to dominate the lawn. Research conducted in Iran and former usage shows that either alone or mixed with grass it is more resistant to heat and requires less water to be maintained.

Clover lawns are vulnerable to anthracnose and are not desirable in grass used for sports due to the leaves causing more slipping than grass. They are functionally desirable for people engaged in urban chicken keeping as they are useful as green forage for the birds.