Phoenix residents are killing their lawns to save water, and the results are more attractive and cheaper than traditional grass

The anti-lawn movement encourages people to replace the greenery in their private lawns with more sustainable alternatives. Grass lawns use up more water than any other ground cover, and the herbicides and gas-powered lawn mowers used to care for them pump wildlife-killing substances and carbon into the surrounding ecosystem. Grass also lacks the pollinator benefits of flowering ground covers. The anti-lawn movement favors using native vegetation and landscaping rock to create a yard that's both visually appealing and beneficial to the environment.

Phoenix tends to get less than 10 inches of rain a year, making it one of the driest US cities. The 336 miles of canals that make up the Central Arizona Project are responsible for carrying Colorado River water and rainwater to neighborhoods throughout the state, including those in Phoenix. But because of unprecedented drought, the canals are drier than ever before, leaving residents to adapt to water shortages.

In Phoenix, grass lawns have long been considered an economic indulgence, but in the past few years they've exacerbated Arizona's water crisis. For many Phoenicians, finding a solution has become a priority.

In February 2021, Jennifer and Brian Jones, who live in Phoenix's historic Willo District, decided to forgo their lawn in favor of a desert landscape.

"We were tired of watering grass that didn't look good, despite our efforts to dethatch and reseed it yearly," Jennifer Jones said. "We were paying a landscaper to mow, and with the high cost of water, enough was enough." She added that their neighbor had a yard with a beautiful desert landscape that inspired her and her husband to revamp theirs.

She started by hiring someone to remove the grass from their yard. Then she and her husband put down a weed barrier and worked with a friend to draw up a design. A local nursery helped them choose drought-friendly plants, and after placing those, they finished the yard with landscaping rock. Now they have a serene yard with low-maintenance greenery like palo verde, palms, cacti, and firesticks.

Noelle Johnson, a horticulturist and landscape consultant in Phoenix, says more Arizonans are turning to desert landscaping as they try to maintain curb appeal and navigate the state's dwindling water supply. Johnson typically works with her clients to replace decorative lawns with attractive ground covers that use far less water, like trailing lantana and dwarf natal plum, as well as ensure clients properly water their grasses and other plants.

"While a well-manicured lawn is attractive, it's high-maintenance and thirsty, requiring a lot of water to keep healthy," Johnson said. "We need to embrace a mind shift, realizing that we live in a hot, arid climate where water is a precious resource."

She added that the lawn is "really the first place to start saving water."

Phoenix has many resources for homeowners looking to lower their water bills and give the local ecosystem a boost. The Desert Botanical Garden, a majestic local showcase of desert flora, regularly conducts desert landscaping courses that homeowners can complete at their own pace. The city of Phoenix sporadically offers similar classes. Homeowners can even certify their yards with the Arizona Wildlife Federation, which recognizes private landscapes that are beneficial to local wildlife.