Native landscaping evidence spans national land-use estimates, matched suburban properties, residential-yard inventories and landscape-water trials. The studies below retain each source’s geography, measurement period and treatment definition.
Key Native Landscaping Statistics
The most useful findings are:
- In the reported 2001 estimate for U.S. urban and suburban areas, residential yards and gardens accounted for about 40%–50% of urban and suburban land cover and green space.
- In the reported 2005 U.S. estimate, lawns covered more than 164,000 km², approximately 2% of all U.S. land cover.
- In the cited 2014 estimate, 82% of the U.S. population lived in urban areas.
- Between 1992 and 2010, more than 10.3 million hectares of land were developed in the United States.
- In Baltimore City and County, 96 sampled yards covered 3.8 hectares and contained 251 recorded plant species during the field study reported in the 2020 paper.
- Kentucky bluegrass occurred at 83% of Baltimore homes visited in that residential-yard inventory.
- During June–August 2006, native-landscaped Pennsylvania sites averaged 43.7% native plant cover versus 17.9% on conventional sites.
- In the same Pennsylvania comparison, native sites averaged 58.0 plant species per site versus 31.2 on conventional sites.
- In the 5-cm vegetation stratum, native cover averaged 59.2% on native sites versus 10.3% on conventional sites.
- In the 1-m stratum, native cover averaged 31.4% on native sites versus 7.5% on conventional sites.
- Native-plant diversity had a positive correlation of r=0.836 with lepidopteran abundance in the Pennsylvania comparison.
- Native-plant diversity had a positive correlation of r=0.589 with avian abundance in that comparison.
- Native sites supported 12.7 caterpillar larvae per site versus 3.0 on conventional sites during the June–August 2006 field period.
- Native sites supported 6.8 caterpillar species per site versus 1.8 on conventional sites in the same study.
- The Pennsylvania paired-property study recorded 46 bird species across all sites.
- The Springfield, Massachusetts survey collected 5,331 individual bees from 111 species in 17 untreated suburban yards during May–September 2013 and 2014.
- 73% of bee species recorded in the Springfield survey were soil-nesting species.
- The Springfield lawns contained 63 plant species, most not intentionally planted.
- EPA estimated that the traditional 10-acre corporate landscape cost 48% more initially than a sustainable landscape planted with native plants.
- A Florida controlled comparison found Florida-Friendly landscaping used 83.9% less irrigation water during the 34-month post-establishment period than traditional landscaping.
Contents
- Key Native Landscaping Statistics
- Native Landscaping Statistics: Urban Land, Yards and Lawns
- Native Landscaping Data on Plant Cover and Richness
- Native Landscaping Statistics for Birds, Caterpillars and Bees
- Native Landscaping Water-Use and Irrigation Data
- Native Landscaping Study Limits and Comparisons
Native Landscaping Statistics: Urban Land, Yards and Lawns
Residential land is a large potential setting for habitat-oriented planting, but the figures below describe land cover and urbanization rather than native-plant adoption.
| Measure | Finding | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Yard and garden share | About 40%–50% | Reported 2001 estimate; U.S. urban and suburban land cover and green space |
| U.S. lawn area | More than 164,000 km²; approximately 2% | Reported 2005 estimate |
| Urban U.S. population | 82% | Cited 2014 population estimate |
| Urban and suburban area change | 2.1% increase | 2007–2010 |
| Developed land | Exceeded 10.3 million hectares | 1992–2010 |
Source for the U.S. context: Bee Fauna and Floral Abundance Within Lawn-Dominated Suburban Yards in Springfield, MA. These are estimates summarized in a peer-reviewed study, not a national census of native landscaping.
Baltimore provides a city-specific view. Residential yards accounted for 39% of city land area in the study context, and the inventory covered 96 yards totaling 3.8 hectares; the authors describe the species count as conservative because some plant types were incompletely sampled. (Time Is Not Money: Income Is More Important Than Lifestage for Explaining Patterns of Residential Yard Plant Community Structure and Diversity in Baltimore)
Native Landscaping Data on Plant Cover and Richness
The Pennsylvania matched-property comparison measured composition rather than simply the amount of vegetation. Native-landscaped sites averaged 43.7% native cover, compared with 17.9% on conventional sites, while total vegetation cover was 49.3% versus 44.9%; the latter difference was not statistically significant (p=0.144). (Impact of Native Plants on Bird and Butterfly Biodiversity in Suburban Landscapes)
| Measure, June–August 2006 | Native sites | Conventional sites |
|---|---|---|
| Native plant cover | 43.7% | 17.9% |
| Non-native plant cover | 6.1% | 26.2% |
| Total vegetation cover | 49.3% | 44.9% |
| Plant species per site | 58.0 | 31.2 |
| Simpson diversity index | 0.91 | 0.82 |
The study reported 2.4 times the native plant cover on native sites and 4.3 times the non-native plant cover on conventional sites. Simpson diversity was not statistically significant at the reported p=0.064, so the index should not be presented as definitive proof of a difference.
Height-specific measurements show where composition differed:
- At 5 cm, native cover was 59.2% on native sites versus 10.3% on conventional sites, while non-native cover was 19.9% versus 66.6%.
- At 1 m, native cover was 31.4% on native sites versus 7.5% on conventional sites, while non-native cover was 2.0% versus 12.6%.
- The 1-m non-native-cover difference was reported with p=0.072 and should be treated as descriptive rather than statistically significant.
In Baltimore, Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) occurred at 83% of homes visited, while the broader inventory recorded 251 plant species across 96 yards. That occurrence measure is not total lawn coverage. (Time Is Not Money: Income Is More Important Than Lifestage for Explaining Patterns of Residential Yard Plant Community Structure and Diversity in Baltimore)
Native Landscaping Statistics for Birds, Caterpillars and Bees
The Pennsylvania comparison linked plant diversity with wildlife observations, but its small matched-site design supports association rather than a universal causal estimate.
| Wildlife measure | Native or plant-diversity finding | Comparison or context |
|---|---|---|
| Caterpillar larvae per site | 12.7 | Conventional sites: 3.0 |
| Caterpillar species per site | 6.8 | Conventional sites: 1.8 |
| Bird species | 46 across all sites | Six matched suburban property pairs |
| Native-plant diversity and lepidopteran abundance | r=0.836 | Positive correlation |
| Native-plant diversity and avian abundance | r=0.589 | Positive correlation |
| Non-native diversity and lepidopteran abundance | r=-0.838 | Negative correlation |
| Non-native diversity and avian abundance | r=-0.602 | Negative correlation |
The source is Impact of Native Plants on Bird and Butterfly Biodiversity in Suburban Landscapes. The caterpillar results were about four times as many larvae and about three times as many species on native sites, but the comparison was seasonal and limited to six matched pairs.
The Springfield survey shows that even untreated lawns can contain measurable pollinator habitat. It collected 5,331 individual bees representing 111 species in 17 suburban yards during May–September 2013 and 2014; the 111 species represented 29% of bee species reported for Massachusetts. (Bee Fauna and Floral Abundance Within Lawn-Dominated Suburban Yards in Springfield, MA)
Among those recorded bee species, 94.6% were native to North America, 73% were soil-nesting and 48.6% were solitary. The lawn flora included 63 plant species, most not intentionally planted, and nearly 30% of spontaneous plant species were native to North America; these figures describe spontaneous lawn communities, not a native-plant installation effect. (Bee Fauna and Floral Abundance Within Lawn-Dominated Suburban Yards in Springfield, MA)
Native Landscaping Water-Use and Irrigation Data
Water results differ by climate, plant mix and study design. EPA estimated that a traditional 10-acre corporate landscape had an initial cost 48% higher than a sustainable native-plant landscape, 52% higher over the first 10 years, and 82% higher in later years; these are model estimates that include watering and maintenance assumptions. (Growing Toward More Efficient Water Use)
EPA also stated that xeriscaping can reduce long-term landscape water use by 70% or more. Xeriscaping is broader than native landscaping, and the estimate is primarily associated with arid-region practice rather than a controlled native-only comparison. (Growing Toward More Efficient Water Use)
| Florida comparison measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Establishment-period irrigation reduction | 69.7% less over 12 months |
| Post-establishment irrigation reduction | 83.9% less over 34 months |
| Each experimental replicate | 455 m² (about 4,900 ft²) |
| Traditional treatment turf share | 75% |
| Florida-Friendly treatment turf share | 25% |
The Florida trial used three 455 m² replicates, each split between traditional and Florida-Friendly landscaping. Because the treatment changed turf share, groundcovers, mulched beds and irrigation management together, the reductions cannot be attributed to native plants alone. (Sustainable Residential Landscapes in Florida: Controlled Comparison of Traditional versus Florida-Friendly Landscaping)
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources estimates that a well-designed mixed planting replacing a well-performing cool-season lawn can demand 50% less water, and at least 30% less than a well-performing warm-season lawn. The guidance assumes efficient managed irrigation and a nearly complete canopy; mixed planting is not necessarily all native. (Questions & Answers About Drought & Water Conservation)
Native Landscaping Study Limits and Comparisons
The Pennsylvania properties averaged 2.32 ha for native sites and 2.27 ha for conventional sites, with no significant size difference. Matching supports the comparison, but six property pairs do not make it nationally representative. (Impact of Native Plants on Bird and Butterfly Biodiversity in Suburban Landscapes)
Several bee figures come from comparison studies cited by the Springfield paper, not from its own lawn survey:
- In a cited New York suburban comparison of 21 yards, 65% of bees nested in soil and 19% were parasitic.
- In a cited New York City community-garden comparison, 19% of 54 collected bee species were exotic.
- In a cited New York suburban comparison, 5% of 110 bee species collected in 21 yards were exotic.
- A cited Kentucky turf-station and public-park study documented 37 bee species visiting dandelion and white clover growing spontaneously in turf and park lawns.
These comparisons illustrate why spontaneous lawn flowers, community gardens and designed native landscapes should not be treated as interchangeable interventions. Across the evidence, the strongest conclusions are study-specific: native sites differed in measured plant composition and wildlife observations, while water and cost estimates depended heavily on climate, turf share, irrigation and maintenance assumptions.