Across the country, some front yards will appear a little unruly in May. That’s because many cities are observing “No Mow May,” a month-long pollinator conservation initiative that discourages herbicide and pesticide use and encourages homeowners not to mow their lawns.
The idea behind No Mow May is elegant in its simplicity: give struggling pollinators a fighting chance by allowing lawn flowers to bloom freely during a critical spring emergence period. While proponents point to increased bee activity in unmowed yards, experts have raised significant concerns about the initiative’s effectiveness. The movement’s timing ignores regional climate differences, potentially creates ecological traps when lawns are suddenly mowed again, and offers limited benefits for lawns lacking flowering diversity.
The intention is admirable, but the nuanced reality raises questions. Can a one-size-fits-all approach truly deliver meaningful conservation benefits? Or could we better serve pollinator populations with broader interventions?
What is ‘No Mow May’?
“No Mow May” is an environmental initiative that encourages homeowners to temporarily stop mowing their lawns in May. The primary goal is to provide early-season food sources for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and other insects. By not mowing, flowering plants that are typically considered “weeds” in lawns (dandelions, clover, etc.) are allowed to bloom freely.
Why May, you may ask? May is a pivotal time, as many pollinators emerge from winter hibernation or hives and need readily available food sources and habitats. These unmowed areas create small wildlife habitats in your yard that support biodiversity at a critical time in the season.
To help your lawn and landscape bloom and grow all year long, contact one of Lawnstarter’s local landscaping professionals today.
The History of ‘No Mow May’
“No Mow May” originated in the United Kingdom in 2019, launched by the conservation nonprofit Plantlife. The campaign encouraged gardeners not to mow their lawns during May, allowing wildflowers to bloom and providing nectar for pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and other insects.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, “No Mow May” was introduced to the United States through a collaboration between two Bee City USA affiliates: the city of Appleton, Wisconsin, and Lawrence University, a local liberal arts college. They formed a group called “Pollenablers – Fox Cities” to launch their local “No Mow May” campaign. Over 430 residents participated, and Appleton’s city council was convinced to suspend the town’s weed ordinance for the month.
Since 2020, the movement has expanded significantly, with hundreds of communities participating beyond the Bee City USA network. “No Mow May” has become a hands-on way for homeowners to help declining local bee populations and support other pollinators with their yards.
Why ‘No Mow May’ Matters
When I asked Matthew Shepherd, director of outreach & education for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, why “No Mow May” is important, he responded: “No Mow May is an excellent introduction to how we can change landscaping practices to benefit bees and other pollinators. It sparks community-wide conversations that can lead to lasting change.”
Pollinator Support
First and foremost, “No Mow May” provides critical support for pollinators as they emerge from winter dormancy. At this time, there is limited vegetation for habitat and food. By allowing lawns to grow unmowed, early plants like dandelions and clover bloom freely, providing nectar and pollen to bees, butterflies, birds, and other insects.
This early nutrition has a dramatic impact on bees, especially, as it enables the colony to build up its population and establish a strong workforce for the upcoming season. Participating properties can harbor more bees and maybe even a greater variety of bee species than mowed areas.
Improved Soil and Grass Health
As grass remains uncut and grows taller, it develops deeper root systems to balance its growth. The soil sees increased organic matter content and enhanced beneficial microbial activity, which improve soil fertility and structure. The deeper roots also help improve the lawn’s resiliency, making it more heat- and drought-tolerant.
Environmental Benefits
Participants may reduce carbon emissions from gas-powered lawn equipment by temporarily suspending mowing. One hour of mowing is equivalent to a 100-mile car ride — over a month, that adds up!
Unmowed grasses develop more extensive root systems that capture more atmospheric carbon, helping to sequester carbon dioxide in greenhouse gases.
Taller grass also helps shade the soil, reducing evaporation and improving soil moisture retention. In turn, homeowners need to use less water, conserving resources.
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Awareness and Education
Beyond the physiological and environmental implications, “No Mow May” is a powerful visual educational tool, raising public awareness about ecological issues. The noticeable difference between mowed and unmowed lawns naturally sparks conversations about pollinator decline and biodiversity loss, challenging deeply ingrained beliefs and cultural norms surrounding the idealized appearance of a “tidy” lawn.
As participation grows in neighborhoods, the movement builds community connections around shared environmental concerns and opens the door to more ecologically sustainable lawn care practices. For many homeowners, the initiative becomes a gateway to environmentally friendly landscaping that extends well beyond May.
In Shepherd’s opinion, “People get very emotional about lawns, and [“No Mow May”] offers an opening to talk about reducing lawn area, less-intensive approaches to lawn management, and what else people could be doing (planting flowers, etc.).”
Why Do Experts Criticize ‘No Mow May’?
Despite its good intentions, the practice of “No Mow May” is contested by many, including ecological and horticultural experts. That’s not to say they don’t appreciate what the initiative is trying to accomplish, but most feel the overall implementation falls short.
Duration of the Initiative
Perhaps the most frequently mentioned critique is the length of “No Mow May.” Dedicating a month of the year may start to support pollinators, but is a month enough time to see worthwhile differences? If measures aren’t carried out all year long, the effort in May may be relatively futile.
Shepherd shares this thought. When discussing “No Mow May” with him, he expressed concerns with concentrating support within a single month:
“No Mow May, if done in a simple way — don’t mow for a few weeks and then carry on mowing as if nothing happened — doesn’t bring much benefit for bees. A short burst of bloom, followed by a return to short grass, has limited gain for bees, and if your lawn has no flowers (and many lawns are only grass), then you won’t even get that…and any benefits will be canceled if you power up your mower and restart as if nothing has changed once June arrives. We can’t pat ourselves on the back and say, ‘Yay, we saved the bees’.”
Calendar Timing Doesn’t Align Everywhere
To take that a step further, let’s talk about the timing. While the tagline “No Mow May” is certainly catchy with its alliteration, designating a specific month may not coincide with local climates as you move across the country.
“No Mow May” is well-aligned for parts of the Midwest (where it originated) and the Northeast that are seeing grass growth and bee activity pick up in May. However, April could be more appropriate in areas of the milder Pacific Northwest or East Coast, as their growing season starts earlier. Arizona could see more benefits from a No Mow March instead of May.
Only Works if Lawns Have Weeds
Next is the logistics of well-manicured lawns. The National Wildlife Federation notes that “No Mow May” only works if the lawn contains a substantial amount of noninvasive wildflowers.
If you’re proactive about weed control and see nary a spot of yellow, all you’ll see after 31 days is a taller monoculture of turfgrass. Not mowing isn’t doing much for the pollinators if you aren’t providing food.
Pollinators Like Multiple Food Sources
While the theory of providing dandelions for bees and other pollinators can be appreciated, the reality is that compared to flowering dogwood, apple trees, milkweed, and coneflowers, dandelions provide little nutritional value. Encouraging a flush of dandelion yellow across your lawn may not be overly enticing, especially if you only provide that sole food source.
In a podcast with Cornell Turfgrass, Dr. Sara Stricker, communications and outreach coordinator at Guelph Turfgrass Institute, equates it to feeding 100 guests at a wedding. You’re not going to “put out one bowl of chips, [you’re] going to put out a buffet.”
It’s also interesting that she mentions, “bees prefer tree pollen over dandelions, which has been previously documented [research by Mayer and Lunden], and observed at the University of Guelph’s Honey Bee Research Centre (unpublished data).
May Be Counterproductive
Some critics argue that “No Mow May” isn’t as helpful as thought, but is counterproductive.
One fascinating thing about bees is that once they find a food source, they’ll communicate to others through the “waggle dance,” directing them to that location. They will remember to come back to an unmowed lawn time and time again through May. But when the grass is mowed, and they return, their confusion may make them easier targets for predators.
Allowing your grass to grow unchecked could come at a price, too. Letting it grow for a month can help strengthen root systems, yet, when homeowners turn their attention back to their lawns, they may cause physiological damage by mowing too much, too quickly.
Remember the environmental benefits of not mowing in May? The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions? As people mow more frequently to get their grass back to a desired height, they spew additional exhaust, negating what they curtailed in May.
Additionally, when lawns are left unmowed for a month, there’s a likelihood that aggressive plants like crabgrass, barnyard grass, or invasive musk thistle may take hold. Taller grass also creates favorable conditions for ticks and other pests, including rodents and snakes. In turn, homeowners may use more herbicides and pesticides to control these problems, potentially harming the pollinator populations they are trying to foster.
Finding Balance: Adapting ‘No Mow May’ for Maximum Pollinator Support
After researching for this article, the consensus seems to be that instead of only focusing on “No Mow May,” homeowners would be better off mowing as necessary and implementing year-round sustainable practices. This approach builds a lawn that supports pollinators continuously, not just for 31 days in spring.
Shepherd says, “bee conservation shouldn’t revolve around allowing dandelions and other weeds to grow. We know that at best, lawns provide limited benefits, and at worst, none at all.”
To facilitate broader pollinator conservation, you could:
- Section off a part of your lawn and leave it unmowed for the entire season.
- Adjust the mowing schedule or frequency to allow clover and dandelions to bloom.
- Create pollinator patches or butterfly gardens, using wildflowers, other flowering plants, and trees.
- Gradually introduce more beneficial native plants into your landscaping.
- Add a rain garden to give pollinators a water source.
- Provide nesting and overwintering sites for egg-laying and shelter.
- Protect pollinators from lawn chemical use. Try to find natural pesticides or herbicides, and avoid applying products at dusk when bees and other insects are highly active.
- Postpone fall cleanup until spring, leaving leaves and other vegetative material for pollinators to overwinter.
To add to what Stricker said about bees preferring tree pollen over dandelions, she recommends adding native species to your landscaping.
“Native trees like maple, poplar, and basswood produce way more pollen than a lawn could,” she says. To support European honey bees, which are important for agriculture, “plant trees in the rose/apple species which originated in Europe.”
In addition to adding food sources, Shepherd suggests adding habitat for nesting females: “grow shrubs that have hollow or soft-centered pithy twigs, retain plant stems that will become nesting sites, keep dead trees or snags, etc., etc…In places where natural features are missing, bee blocks can help fill that gap. It’s better to have artificial nest sites than none.”
Beyond these landscaping practices, you can work at a community level to adjust ordinances that require lawns to be kept neat and tidy. Alternatively, you could collaborate with your local extension service or even local nurseries to host workshops on pollinator-friendly landscaping.
My Approach: I want to make sure there are plenty of helpful little guys pollinating my apple tree, raspberry canes, and tomato plants.
To support them, I have designated areas in my yard where I plant a mix of flowering plants that attract pollinators. Along with water sources, we keep hummingbird feeders filled, and when adding to the landscaping, I look for native plants whenever possible. I also carefully select products when treating my apple tree and spray when bees are less active.
See Related: 12 Native Plants Perfect for Your Butterfly Garden
FAQ About ‘No Mow May’
Yes, you can absolutely participate in “No Mow May” if you don’t have a traditional lawn! You can support the movement by planting pollinator-friendly plants in containers, window boxes, or community garden plots. You can also advocate for it in your community, educate others about the benefits, or encourage local parks to designate unmowed areas.
To maximize the benefits, consider identifying and removing invasive plants from your lawn before May, and overseeding with native wildflowers or clover earlier in the spring. Add pollinator-supporting features, such as small water sources or bee houses. You can also extend partial no-mow practices in your yard beyond May, designating permanent low-maintenance areas.
You will want to use a gradual approach when you resume mowing in June. Raise your mower deck to the highest setting and take multiple passes over the lawn, over a few days or a week, gradually lowering the cutting height. The one-third mowing strategy prevents shocking the grass or causing damage because you’ve removed too much at once.
If you are considering following the movement and taking part in “No Mow May,” keep in mind that you may encounter some stumbling blocks.
Lawn ordinances & HOA restrictions: Many municipalities have lawn height ordinances, and homeowners’ associations enforce strict landscaping rules that directly conflict with “No Mow May” participation. Before starting, consider obtaining special exemptions to avoid fines for participating.
Neighbor complaints: Unmowed lawns can generate tension with neighbors who value the traditional, highly manicured aesthetic, which could lead to community conflict regarding participation. Open up dialogue with your neighbors, explaining why you’re doing this, to help them see you are being environmentally conscious instead of neglectful.
More Ways to Help Local Pollinators
“No Mow May” is a fantastic introduction to changing landscaping and lawn care practices to benefit bees. However, supporting pollinators doesn’t have to end when the calendar rolls to June. There are plenty of ways, including landscaping projects, to turn your yard into a home for native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds all year-round. Which, many say, is a better approach to fostering pollinator populations.
If you’re brainstorming ways to use your yard to save pollinators beyond “No Mow May,” our landscaping professionals are just a call or click away.
Sources:
- “A Buzz-Worthy No Mow May Option Could Be Found in ‘Bee Lawns’.” By Dr. Sara Stricker, Communications and Outreach Coordinator at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute. Turf & Rec.
- “Establishing Pollinator Meadows from Seed.” By Eric Lee-Mader, Brianna Borders, and Ashley Minnerath. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
- “Grow Beyond No Mow May: Options for Reducing Your Lawn.” By Tess Renusch, Senior Coordinator at the National Wildlife Federation. NWF Blog.
- “Honey Bee Foraging on Dandelion and Apple in Apple Orchards.” By D.F. Mayer and J.D. Lunden. Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia.
- “Nesting & Overwintering Habitat.” By Sarah Foltz Jordan, Jennifer Hopwood, and Sara Morris. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
- “No Mow May, No Mow April, Low Mow Spring?” By Bee City USA.
- “One Hour Of Grass Cutting Equals 100 Miles Worth Of Auto Pollution.” By Science Daily.
- “Cornell Turfgrass Show 2024: Ep. 6: No Mow May and Better Alternatives With Sara Stricker.” By Cornell SIPS. YouTube.
Main Photo Credit: Actium / Shutterstock
