Roadside Guide to Michigan Plants, Trees, and Flowers by Edwin Arnfield

You can expect to find native meadows in suburban or rural settings. This practice reduces the amount of lawn that needs to be mowed, which can save time and money as well as reduce emissions once the meadow is fully established. A meadow area can provide a beautiful flowering landscape and a habitat for butterflies, birds, and local wildlife. Increased infiltration not only reduces stormwater runoff but also recharges groundwater supplies. Native meadows also improve the soil by increasing the amount of decomposing organic matter and allowing more rainwater infiltration. In turn, it will reduce the sediment and pollutants flowing into local waterways. Taller vegetation also grows deeper roots, which create a more spongelike soil that can absorb water and trap pollutants. This extra growth is better at slowing down water so that pollutants can settle out. Native meadow vegetation grows much taller than turfgrass. It might require some weeding or control of invasive species.

Meadows don't require as much maintenance as lawn areas do. Native meadow plantings are meant to be low maintenance and, once established, only need to be cut back once or twice a year. A variety of flowering perennial plants and grasses can be used, and that list may be different depending on where the meadow is planted. Native meadows are often planted in place of traditional mowed lawn areas. A native meadow is an area that is planted with flowers and grasses that are native to the local area, which is mowed very infrequently.

Roadside Guide to Michigan Plants, Trees, and Flowers by Edwin Arnfield