Reduce Your Lawn: Plant Shrubs for Pollinators

by Jacqueline Merrill and Melissa Morini, Master Gardener Volunteers, Putnam County Pollinator Pathway

Why reduce your lawn?

Insect and bird populations have declined precipitously in the past decade due to loss of habitat, invasive species, pathogens, improper use of pesticides, and climate pressure. Homeowners have a role to play by adjusting their private landscapes to help mitigate stress on these creatures. One way is to reduce the size of our lawns. Lawns have their place in our landscapes, but does your landscape need an expansive lawn? Those velvety green expanses provide for a limited number of birds and insects. Replacing lawn with meadow flowers and wild grasses is a popular approach, but native shrubs (shrubs that naturally grow in the northeast) are beautiful, low-maintenance alternatives that also benefit insects and birds.

Why shrubs?
Native shrubs provide garden interest in all seasons, and most offer excellent autumn color. Their flowers produce nectar for pollinator insects. Their foliage hosts insect larvae that in turn become the main food source for nesting birds. Their nectar, fruits, leaves and twigs provide food, nesting materials and cover from predators. Shrubs need less maintenance than meadows, can cover large areas, and make great screens and hedges.

How to do it
An existing planting on your property can be an anchor for an enlarged shrub border. Other possibilities might be a border along a wall or rock outcropping, or a grove of shrubs placed to break up an expanse of lawn.

After site selection, the first and most important step is evaluating the site conditions so you can plant shrubs that will thrive (a principle we call “the right plant in the right place”). Consider the sun and shade exposure, the moisture, drainage, and soil. A soil test is a good idea to determine your soil's nutrient levels, pH balance, and composition (proportions of minerals, organic matter, clay, sand, loam). It’s useful to notice what is growing well nearby to help you select shrubs suited to similar conditions.

To prepare your site, eliminate the grass. Do this with a string trimmer, a mower on the lowest setting, or by manually digging. Cover the area with cardboard or several layers of newspaper, then, with 3 to 6 inches chopped leaves and/or grass clippings, cap with mulch, and water it in. Don’t worry about removing the grass roots, they will compost under this layer and add organic matter to the soil. In 4 to 8 weeks, the material will break down enough to be ready for direct planting. It’s especially effective to do this in fall or early winter in preparation for spring planting. Be aware that landscaping cloth is not the best method for grass suppression because the cloth interferes with soil health and is difficult to remove once shrubs start to grow.

Space the shrubs considering their mature size—generally about 3 feet apart. Native plants rarely need fertilizer or soil amendments, but compost and a dose of half strength transplant fertilizer can help them establish roots. Additional mulch or leaf mold will retain moisture and suppress weeds. Water regularly at first, usually for two growing seasons. While the shrubs are getting started, native ground covers or other herbaceous plants can give a lusher look.

Some native shrubs for various site conditions
Bearberry ( Arctostaphylos uva-ursi): This evergreen, low-growing perennial shrub can be effective as a ground cover. Its natural habitat includes rocky sites, open woods, dry areas, sandy hills and mountain ranges. Bearberry must have acidic, sandy and well-drained soil to thrive. It is low maintenance, prefers dry to moderate moisture and is drought tolerant. Bearberry is an important host plant for larva of the Hoary Elfin, Brown Elfin and Freija Fritillary butterflies. Its flower nectar and berries are food for pollinator insects and birds.

Arrowwood viburnum ( Viburnum dentatum): This native deciduous shrub tolerates a wide variety of soil and conditions, including shade with occasional drought or flooding, but will show its best growth in moist, well-drained soil and sun. The shrub is winter-hardy and valuable to wildlife. It provides nectar for pollinators, including native bees, late season berries and shelter for birds, and is a larval host plant.

Fragrant sumac ( Rhus aromatica) is a dense, low spreading groundcover or deciduous shrub especially useful on slopes. It reaches a height of 2 to 6 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide and is best grown in full sun to partial shade in moist to dry, well-drained soils. They prefer acidic soils but are tolerant of most soil types except for poorly drained areas. In spring they are speckled with cheerful yellow flower clusters. This plant is deer resistant.

Highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum) is native to eastern North America. It can grow 6 to 12 feet tall. It is an upright, multi-stemmed, slow-growing deciduous shrub found naturally in bogs, swamps, and high elevation forests. Blueberries require acidic soils high in organic matter, and thrive in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) or partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours). Vaccinium are considered “keystone” plants that are especially important for native ecosystems because they provide essential food and habitat for a great number of species.

Northern spicebush ( Lindera benzoin) is a deciduous shrub in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to central and eastern United States and is found in bottomlands, dry forests, ravines, valleys, swamps and along streams. The easy-to-grow understory shrub prefers moist, well-drained soils in part shade. On average, it grows 6 to 12’ tall and wide. It flowers early, is a host plant for butterflies and is especially beloved by wood thrushes.

Shadblow serviceberry ( Amelanchier canadensis) is an early-flowering, large shrub or small tree in the rose family that is native to eastern North America. It is an understory shrub or small tree, often found growing 15 to 25 feet tall in clumps in swamps, bogs, lowlands, and thickets. This plant prefers part shade and moist well-drained sandy loam but is adaptable to both wet and dry sites and various soil types. Many birds, particularly the cedar waxwing, are attracted to its early season fruits.

Cockspur hawthorn ( Crataegus crus-galli) is noted for providing dense shade. It is native to many places in North America. This small tree grows 20 to 30 feet in height with a 9-inch trunk and produces both flowers and small red berries (haws). It grows well in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun, but will tolerate a wide range of soils, light shade, and some drought. Hawthorn flowers provide nectar for insects; its leaves are food for many moths, and its haws provide winter food for songbirds. It is a host plant for larva of the Gray Hairstreak, Red-spotted Purple, and Viceroy butterflies.

Visit us at the May Plant Sale, Saturday, May 9, for a large selection of native trees, shrubs and perennials. We’ll have something for every garden. And what’s even better, Master Gardener Volunteers are on hand to help you choose the right plant for your garden.

If you can’t make it to our plant sale, you’ll find more resources and articles like this on the Putnam Pollinator Pathway webpage: https://cceputnamcounty.org/gardening/putnam-poll...

References
Break up with your lawn, use cardboard to say goodbye with no regret. Kate Herrick, UCDavis Arboretum and Public Garden, March 2014.
Native Plants for Putnam County. Cornell University Cooperative Extension, Undated.
Plant Toolbox. North Carolina State University Extension, Undated. (use the search feature on the homepage of this site to find detailed information on all the plants described here)
"Right Plant, Right Place" - A Plant Selection Guide for Managed Landscapes. UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program, 2025.
Ways to reduce your lawn and plant an alternative. University of Maryland Extension, June 19, 2025.