A homeowner has been left confused by the policies of their homeowners' association after witnessing plants sprouting in their dying lawn during drought season.
Posting to the r/NoLawns subreddit, they showed how despite the hot and dry conditions turning the grass on their lawn brown, green shoots were appearing.
"My HOA considers clover a weed, but it's the only thing thriving in this drought," they captioned the post. "I water my trees a lot, but I don't care about the grass."
Users were quick to point out that it wasn't actually clover, but instead oxalis, a potentially invasive species that produces yellow, reddish-purple, or white flowers.
"Oxalis lawn would be very pretty," one Redditor said. "Why do we insist on grass?"
According to the BBC's Gardeners' World magazine, oxalis is also known as "shamrock" because of its close appearance to clover, and while some are deep-rooting and can cause problems in a garden, there are ornamental varieties that can be grown both indoors and outdoors.
This homeowner obviously thought the flash of green among the dying lawn was a welcome sight, but the HOA might have had a point when trying to avoid this species from growing out of control — which could be detrimental to other plants.
However, the idea that lawns are the best option for all gardens is perhaps a misguided take from the HOA. It's clear that the grass could not survive the drought conditions, and the barren appearance isn't ideal for an organization that, in part, intends to keep the community looking its best.
"HOAs are the worst," another commenter on Reddit observed.
While the example our Redditor posted wasn't quite what they thought it was, clover is a great, drought-resistant alternative to traditional monoculture lawns.
Clover lawns require less watering, which is ideal in areas that are typically placed under hosepipe bans during the summer months. With global heating bringing longer and more intense drought periods, this is an ideal solution for a fresh-looking yard.
Clover also brings pollinators to your green space, providing a boost to biodiversity.
Meanwhile, HOAs should welcome clover lawns because they require significantly less maintenance than traditional lawns, placing less of a burden on homeowners to keep up with strict aesthetic rules.
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