How to Replace Your Lawn with California Native Plants

Replacing a lawn with California native plants can cut outdoor water use by up to 80 percent while supporting wildlife and eliminating weekly mowing. According to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, removing turf and replacing it with sustainable landscaping saves roughly 44 gallons of water per square foot per year. In Santa Cruz County, the Soquel Creek Water District offers a Cash for Grass rebate of up to $2 per square foot, so a lawn conversion can be both a water win and partially paid for.

Why Replace Your Lawn with Natives?

A conventional lawn is the single thirstiest, highest-maintenance feature in most yards, and it gives very little back. In California, where summer rain essentially does not fall for months, keeping turf green means running sprinklers constantly through the dry season.

The water math is significant. According to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, replacing turf with low-water landscaping saves about 44 gallons of water per square foot each year, and a sustainable landscape with efficient irrigation can use up to 80 percent less water than a lawn. Statewide, a large share of urban water goes to outdoor irrigation, much of it on lawns, so this is one of the highest-impact changes a household can make.

Beyond water, a native planting eliminates mowing, needs no fertilizer or chemical weed-and-feed, and turns a sterile green rectangle into habitat. According to the California Native Plant Society, native plants support the local bees, butterflies, and birds that lawns cannot, and they are adapted to our climate, so they thrive on rainfall alone once established.

There is an honest trade-off worth naming: a native garden is not a play surface the way a lawn is. If you have children or dogs who need open turf, consider converting only part of the lawn and keeping a smaller play area, or using a tough native like yarrow or a sedge as a low-traffic lawn alternative. For the broader water-saving picture, see our complete guide to water-wise gardening in Santa Cruz County.

How Much Water and Money Can You Actually Save?

The savings depend on lawn size, but the numbers add up quickly and they are worth calculating before you start.

Water saved. At roughly 44 gallons per square foot per year, a modest 500-square-foot front lawn converted to natives saves on the order of 22,000 gallons of water annually. A larger 1,000-square-foot lawn saves around 44,000 gallons a year. Those figures come from Metropolitan Water District estimates and will vary with your soil, exposure, and how heavily the lawn was watered, but the order of magnitude holds.

Rebate money. In the mid-county area, the Soquel Creek Water District Cash for Grass turf replacement program pays up to $2 per square foot of lawn removed and replaced with low-water plants, up to $2,000 per year for single-family homes. There are conditions: you must apply and pass a pre-approval inspection before removing any turf, the area needs existing in-ground irrigation, at least a quarter of the replanted area must be covered with low-water plants at maturity, and the rest must be mulched or permeable. Programs, dollar amounts, and eligibility change, and they vary by water district, so check your specific provider before you dig. Confirm current terms with your water district directly, since rebate details are updated periodically.

Ongoing savings. Beyond the one-time rebate, you save every month on the water bill, plus the cost and time of mowing, fertilizer, and lawn care for years to come.

Even if a rebate is not available in your area, the water-bill savings alone usually justify the conversion over a few seasons.

How Do You Remove a Lawn Without a Lot of Digging?

You do not need to rent a sod cutter or dig out the whole lawn, though you can. For most homeowners, the easiest and most soil-friendly method is sheet mulching, which smothers the grass in place.

Sheet mulching (the recommended method). Mow the lawn low, then lay overlapping sheets of plain cardboard (tape and labels removed) directly over the grass, overlapping the edges by six inches or more so no light gets through. Wet the cardboard thoroughly, then cover it with four to six inches of mulch or compost. The grass dies from lack of light, and over several months the cardboard and grass break down into the soil, feeding it. According to sustainable landscaping guidance, this method suppresses the lawn while improving the soil and requires no chemicals and little digging.

Timing. Start sheet mulching in late summer or early fall so the lawn smothers over the wet season and beds are ready for fall or winter native planting. In Santa Cruz County, a sheet mulch laid in September is usually ready to plant into by late fall.

Other methods. Solarization (covering the lawn with clear plastic to bake it in the sun) works in the hottest inland areas but is unreliable in the foggy coastal belt where summer heat is limited. Manual sod removal or a sod cutter is faster but harder work and strips off valuable topsoil. We compare all of these in detail in our guide to converting lawn to garden in Santa Cruz County.

One tip: for aggressive lawns like Bermuda grass, sheet mulching alone may not fully kill it, and you may need a thicker cardboard layer, a longer smothering period, or spot removal of survivors.

What Native Plants Should You Use to Replace a Lawn?

The best replacement depends on whether you want a low, walkable green surface that reads like a lawn, or a fuller mixed planting of shrubs and perennials. Most successful conversions use a mix.

For a lawn-like green surface:

• Native yarrow (Achillea millefolium) forms a low, soft, mowable mat that tolerates light foot traffic and needs little water.
• Native sedges (Carex pansa, Carex tumulicola) create a fine-textured green groundcover that can be left shaggy or mown a few times a year for a meadow look.
• Beach strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) spreads into a glossy green mat and handles coastal fog well.

For a mixed native planting:

• Groundcover manzanita and ceanothus (such as 'Emerald Carpet' manzanita or a prostrate ceanothus) cover ground with evergreen foliage and seasonal flowers while suppressing weeds.
• California fuchsia, sticky monkeyflower, and buckwheat add color and feed hummingbirds and pollinators.
• Deer grass and other bunchgrasses give structure and movement.

We round up the best low options in our guide to native groundcovers for Santa Cruz gardens, and because a lawn conversion is also a chance to improve fire safety, see groundcovers that replace lawn and reduce fire risk. For choosing between a living groundcover and plain mulch in different areas, our comparison of mulch versus ground cover plants for weed control is useful.

Aim to space plants so they will grow together and cover the soil within a couple of years, which shades out weeds and reduces the mulch you need long term.

How Do You Design and Plant the New Native Garden?

A little planning turns a bare mulched area into a garden that looks intentional and thrives.

Plan for water zones. Group plants with similar water needs together (hydrozoning) so you can water the establishment-phase plants without overwatering drought-lovers. Our guide to native garden design in Santa Cruz County covers layout, layering, and plant combinations.

Match plants to your microclimate. Sunny, dry front yards suit Cleveland sage, buckwheat, California fuchsia, and manzanita; shadier or foggier spots favor Douglas iris, sedges, coffeeberry, and monkeyflower.

Convert irrigation to drip. Replace lawn spray heads with low-volume drip, which delivers water to plant roots efficiently and is usually required to qualify for a rebate. Drip lets you water deeply and infrequently, exactly what natives want.

Plant in fall. According to the California Native Plant Society, fall through early winter is the ideal planting window, so roots establish over the rainy season before the first dry summer. This is why the whole sheet-mulch-then-plant timeline is built around getting plants in the ground before winter rains.

Mulch the open areas. Cover any bare soil between plants with a few inches of coarse mulch to suppress weeds and hold moisture while plants fill in.

What Should You Expect the First Two Years?

Setting expectations honestly is the difference between a conversion that sticks and one that gets ripped out in frustration.

Year one looks sparse. Newly planted natives are small, and the garden will look thin with a lot of visible mulch. This is normal. Native plants put energy into roots first and top growth later. Resist the urge to overplant to fill the gaps, which leads to overcrowding as they mature.

Water more than you expect at first. Even drought-tolerant natives need regular water for the first one to two years to establish roots, according to CNPS. Deep, infrequent watering during this period is what builds the deep roots that let them survive on rainfall later. Do not assume a native needs no water the day you plant it.

Weeds will try to return. The disturbed, freshly mulched soil invites weeds. Pull them while small during the first year or two, and once your groundcovers knit together they will crowd most out.

By year two or three, it takes off. Once established, the garden fills in, summer watering drops off dramatically or stops entirely, and the maintenance settles into occasional pruning and weeding. The mowing is gone for good, the water bill is lower, and the space is alive with pollinators and birds.

A lawn conversion is a project measured in seasons, not weekends, but few garden changes pay back as much in saved water, saved money, and added life. Start with a manageable section if the whole lawn feels daunting.

For a printable lawn-conversion planning checklist and a native plant starter list, our free garden toolkit at /your-garden-toolkit has resources you can download.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much water does replacing a lawn with natives save?

Replacing a lawn with California natives can cut outdoor water use by up to 80 percent. According to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, turf replacement saves roughly 44 gallons of water per square foot per year. A 500-square-foot lawn conversion therefore saves on the order of 22,000 gallons annually. Actual savings vary with soil, sun exposure, and how heavily the lawn was watered, but the reduction is substantial and continues every year.

Is there a rebate for removing my lawn in Santa Cruz County?

Yes, in many areas. The Soquel Creek Water District offers a Cash for Grass turf replacement rebate of up to $2 per square foot, up to $2,000 per year for single-family homes, for replacing lawn with low-water plants. A pre-approval inspection is required before you remove any turf. Rebate amounts and eligibility vary by water district and change over time, so confirm the current program and terms with your specific water provider before starting the project.

What is the easiest way to remove a lawn?

Sheet mulching is the easiest, most soil-friendly method. Mow the grass low, cover it with overlapping wet cardboard, then add four to six inches of mulch or compost. The grass dies from lack of light and breaks down into the soil over several months, with no digging or chemicals required. Start in late summer or early fall so the lawn smothers over the wet season and beds are ready for fall native planting.

When should I plant natives after removing my lawn?

Plant in fall, from October through early winter, according to the California Native Plant Society. Fall planting lets roots establish through the cool, rainy season before the first dry summer, so plants need far less supplemental water. This is why the typical lawn conversion is timed to sheet-mulch in late summer, let the lawn smother over fall, and plant into the prepared beds as the winter rains begin.

Do native plants make a good lawn substitute for walking on?

Some do, but no native matches turf for heavy play or sports use. For a low, walkable green surface, native yarrow tolerates light foot traffic, and native sedges like Carex pansa form a soft, mowable meadow. For areas that need durable open space for children or dogs, consider keeping a smaller lawn or play area and converting the rest, since most native plantings are meant to be viewed and enjoyed rather than walked across regularly.

How long until a native garden looks established?

Expect a native garden to look sparse in year one, fill in during year two, and reach an established, lush look by year two or three. Newly planted natives put energy into roots before top growth, so patience is essential. During the first one to two years they need regular deep watering to establish, according to CNPS, after which summer irrigation drops off sharply or stops entirely and maintenance settles into occasional weeding and pruning.