# Would a neighbor's clover lawn upset you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 5, 2026, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439 "2026-07-05T19:15:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/41 "2026-07-06T00:43:01Z")
I’d prefer it but our HOA requires a square of grass. I myself would pull the grass up and put in a nice forced-perspective ramble on a path through rocks and native and flowering plants, with fruits and vegetables tucked in near the house, as I did with our last front yard. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/42 "2026-07-06T00:59:27Z")
I don’t even look at my own lawn. Why would I care about their lawn? ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/43 "2026-07-06T01:13:52Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Would it upset you if a neighbor did it? I wish they would! they waste tons of water keeping their perfect lawn going, and it’s not doing the wildlife any good. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/44 "2026-07-06T01:54:09Z")
I’ve never cared what people’s lawns look like. I currently no longer own a lawn, as the community I’m in now decided to just not have lots, because too many people were getting upset over whose land was whose. And yet, there is still a space where others won’t mow–even the guy who apparently was going around being paid to do so. Still, not sure anyone would be allowed to plant anything. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/45 "2026-07-06T01:58:34Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I would prefer it and would like to swap mine over to clover in fact. Not hard, just wait until the rains start, buy some clover seeds, and sprinkle. Trod the seeds down, seed more in bare patches. > [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > I keep my front in well-groomed zoysia, since the neighborhood would look weedy and untidy if everybody kept clover in front. Not at all. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/46 "2026-07-06T02:05:30Z")
Did my first experiment in the spring. Thus far little luck. My soil is pretty bad. I’ll try again in the fall. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/47 "2026-07-06T02:20:48Z")
I don’t care either way. Our lawn has clover, a few kinds of grass, and other assorted greenery. As long as it’s not poison ivy/oak/sumac I don’t care. Even vines are ok, although I don’t let them go up our trees, the side of the house, or on our fence. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/48 "2026-07-06T02:42:34Z")
I’m currently an apartment dweller, so I don’t have a say in these things. But my mom’s front yard is a wildflower garden. The neighbors all seem to like it. ---
**Author:** ![guero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guero/32/136_2.png) [@guero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guero)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/49 "2026-07-06T03:44:27Z")
I am long past the point where I have to maintain a lawn and the HOA I am in takes care of that now. But I am curious, would this microclover hold up well under heavy traffic, like kids playing on the lawn? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/50 "2026-07-06T08:06:56Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > The city requires a turf grass lawn Now that’s one I’ve never heard of. HOAs yes, but not the city. Is there some reason for it? Erosion problems or something? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/51 "2026-07-06T08:24:00Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > to see you all embracing biodiverse lawns. So, not a mono-culture. That makes good sense, although I wonder if a mono-culture wouldn’t be an easier first step to public acceptance. Is there anything you would recommend to mix in with the clover? Something that won’t need mowing or chemicals and would likely grow to about the same height and look nice? I realize the answer to that is largely dependent upon where I am (Washington, DC suburbs) but what I’m really trying to wrap my head around is more of a general mix that would be good for most of the USA. Something to try and sell the public on as a new way of doing things. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/52 "2026-07-06T08:31:50Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > I keep my front in well-groomed zoysia, Funny story about Zoysia, from when it was brand new. I lived on a 1 acre plot in Annandale, VA, in an divided house with the landlord having half the space. They were from Pakistan, and really clueless about keeping a lawn, so when I moved in it was about 60% that stuff that isn’t actually wild strawberry, and another 10% wild onion. When they got a nasty note from the HOA about it, I recommended the shiny new grass on the scene. And as they were elderly, I ended up the following weekend plugging in little zoysia plants into every square foot of that lawn. That was probably early April-ish. By the end of August we were in a serious drought, and the County had taken the highly unusual step of asking people not to water their lawns. My landlady was beside herself, all her new baby plants were sure to die! By mid-September we had a polka-dot lawn. It was the funniest thing ever. A big swath of khaki tan with these bright circles of Zoysia green. We should have been a commercial for them! That was also the house that had the neighbor with the gnomes. Such fun. . . ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/53 "2026-07-06T08:38:21Z")
> [@guero](#): > > But I am curious, would this microclover hold up well under heavy traffic, like kids playing on the lawn? I don’t know, and I’ve had trouble getting an answer to that question. Another thing I haven’t found is photos of a clover lawn in the Winter compared to grass lawns nearby. Does anybody know, or have a good resource they can link us to? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/54 "2026-07-06T11:24:33Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Not at all. Your opinion. I’ve seen neighborhoods where the front yard is mostly clover and I don’t care for it. Moreover the people who let it run over with clover also tend to let it run over with dandelions and other weeds, because any weed treatment that kills broadleaf weed also kills the clover. Now if they’re doing some kind of tended, natural-ish front garden, it can be nice. But if they’re just letting clover run wild, it looks like a neglected off-season community softball field before too long. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/55 "2026-07-06T11:42:51Z")
Honestly, perfectly manicured lawns upset me, bring on the biodiversity! I have no lawn; I have chaotic borders with flowers, fruit, vegetables and a few patches of long grass chock full o’ weeds that would probably send some of you running for the smelling salts. Luckily, I live in Scotland, and that’s perfectly acceptable here, unless it becomes a nuisance to neighbours. Given that the park, with a large area with minimal management, is right opposite, there’s plenty of weed seeds around with or without my addition. I also have a range of bee species, moths and butterflies all over the place, birds nesting in the bushes and snails everywhere. OK, I could mostly do without the snails, but the local song thrush seems to like them so I’m not doing anything but evicting some of them to the shrubby bit of the park (I remove litter in exchange). ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/56 "2026-07-06T12:14:31Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Honestly, perfectly manicured lawns upset me, bring on the biodiversity! Me too, I find them creepy and depressing. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/57 "2026-07-06T14:13:21Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > That makes good sense, although I wonder if a mono-culture wouldn’t be an easier first step to public acceptance. Is there anything you would recommend to mix in with the clover? Grass. Mixing a sun/shade grass seed with Dutch white clover seed and overseeding your lawn in the fall (and/or spring) is a great way to introduce clover and create a biodiverse lawn. Here’s a pic of a lawn with [about 70% clover](https://www.goodsweetearth.org/lawnshots?itemId=ubk0p0godah7qk67t8byqtke8oxxi7-2ztdt). Here’s a pic of a lawn with about [20-30% clover.](https://www.goodsweetearth.org/lawnshots?itemId=1och7kkz3xdhzccya4vz6bb6hozqsc-p6gb4) > [@](#): > > Something that won’t need mowing or chemicals and would likely grow to about the same height and look nice? Everything, for the most part, will need mowing. But grass and clover both grow at similar rates, both are similar shades of green. Having a grass & clover lawn is the best way to: 1) have a green lawn (clover fertilizes your turf), 2) have “acceptable” biodiversity, and 3) keep out other less-attractive stuff (crabgrass, thistle, etc) (no need for herbicides). Monocultures, no matter if it’s a grass monoculture or clover monoculture, are unnatural and open you up to problems (disease, pests, etc.). Biodiversity is the key to a healthy natural lawn. Take any random 5,000 square foot space in nature; you will never find only one plant growing there. There’s a good reason for that. Biodiversity keeps things balanced and healthy. Clover on its own also doesn’t handle foot traffic as well as grass and clover mixed together. And I mentioned it upthread, but I want to reiterate: Microclover isn’t worth it. It’s more expensive than regular ol’ Dutch white clover, and it eventually grows into the same size as regular ol’ Dutch white clover anyway (especially if you don’t mow it regularly). ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/58 "2026-07-06T14:20:14Z")
Dutch white will want some mowing, but it is relatively dwarf. You don’t want, say, Mammoth Red clover in your lawn (though you may well want it in your pasture or cover crop mix.) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/59 "2026-07-06T14:36:52Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > It does not tolerate high heat and drought and does not do well in shady conditions. (From something @Jackmannii quoted, not their words) My lawn was ripped up when i had the retaining wall replaced and ran a new power line to the house. I replanted it in white clover, probably even dwarf clover. I thought it looked terrific the first year. Green and lush. And i like the flowers, and the pollinators. But then we had a drought, and it all died. It didn’t just go dormant, it was dead. And last summer i had huge dead brown swaths where the client used to be, with a few weeds coming in. So last fall i replanted in a mix of short, fine-leafed fescues. It doesn’t look as lush, but it’s all alive, without any extra water. (I did water it to get it started.) I’ve planted clover in my back yard several times, overseeding the grass. I like it, but i lose most of it every time we have a drought. I had hopes for the front yard because it’s shadier, and i don’t generally lose grass there during droughts, but they didn’t pan out. So… Would i mind if the neighbor had a clover lawn? Not at all. But i don’t especially recommend you try it yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439/60 "2026-07-06T14:46:47Z")
Monoculture can be a bad thing environmentally when we’re talking on the scale of large scale agriculture, but in terms of a typical 10,000 square-foot residential lawn, the impacts are going to be pretty negligible. That said, I’d be delighted if my neighbor had a clover lawn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-neighbors-clover-lawn-upset-you/1031439.md?page=4)