Nearly Native Bee Lawn Seed Mix

A nearly native turf mix for people and pollinators.

Responding to occasional requests for a low-growing meadow mix that can be used for low-traffic lawns and other turf-like areas, we’ve created this mostly native, mostly grass mix that adds a little color and life to otherwise barren “greenspaces.”

We call it mostly native because it includes the California variant of baby blue eyes, and a cultivated dwarf variety of our beloved farewell-to-spring, rather than the tall wild type. The inclusion of Yaak yarrow, a native low-growing, turf-forming variant of western yarrow provides added durability, and long-lived flowers.

This “lawn” will not hold up to heavy trampling by pets or people (so it’s not going to make a good soccer field), but it will perform fine in a low traffic residential yard setting with full sunlight.

To maintain an appropriate height, it can be infrequently mowed, ideally in no earlier than mid-summer, after most of the wildflowers have bloomed. It’s no substitute for the diversity of a true wildflower meadow with dozens of species from a biodiversity standpoint, but it's a great compromise where a lawn-like aesthetic is needed or desired.  

SEED MIX CONTENTS

Wildflowers 30%

Dwarf Farewell to Spring (Clarkia amoena), Sea Blush (Plectritis congesta), Yaak Yarrow (Achillea millefolium var. Yaak'), Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii)

Grasses 70%

Roemer’s Fescue (Festuca romerii), Red Fescue (Festuca rubra)

Seed Mix Weight: 1 pound (enough to cover about 500 - 800 square feet).

Please check out planting instructions for mixes here. You can do this!