Before you swap your lawnmower for a lawn chair, here’s a deeper look at the why, how, and what to watch for when it comes to No Mow May to help you make the choice that’s right for you.
Spring is in the air, and if you’re tuned into conservation conversations, you’ve probably heard the buzz about No Mow May. The idea is simple: delay your first lawn mowing of the season to give early-season pollinators a better shot at finding food and shelter. After a long, harsh winter, flowers like dandelions, clover, and wild violets can be a vital lifeline for bees and other insects. And keeping your mower parked for a few extra weeks in the spring can help.
At first glance, it sounds like an easy win. Skip mowing for a month, help the pollinators, save some time (and carbon emissions!). What’s not to love? And for many people, No Mow May is a great first step toward seeing the lawn not just as a patch of green carpet, but as part of a living ecosystem. But like most simple slogans, the reality on the ground can be a little more complicated.
Why No Mow May Matters
For pollinators emerging in early spring, food can be scarce. Many native bees, early butterflies, beetles, and other insects rely on early blooms for nectar and pollen after winter dormancy. In highly manicured landscapes, where turfgrass dominates and flowering plants are few, that early-season feast can be altogether missing.
By allowing lawns to grow longer in May, you may provide critical food and habitat for a surprising diversity of backyard wildlife. Taller grasses and spring wildflowers—even non-native ones like dandelions and clover—offer pollinators both shelter and foraging opportunities at a time when nectar and pollen sources can still be limited. In fact, several studies (like those conducted in Appleton, Wisconsin) have shown measurable increases in bee abundance and diversity in unmown lawns compared to closely clipped ones. It’s a reminder that even small patches of urban and suburban green space can offer meaningful habitat when we loosen our grip a little.
Additionally, firefly larvae thrive in the cool, damp understory of longer grass. And some adult firefly species remain flightless and glow from the ground. These glowing insects depend on unmown areas to complete their life cycles. Even fledgling birds benefit from denser grass, which provides cover from predators and a buffet of protein-rich insects.
While a manicured lawn may look tidy, its ecological value is minimal. Letting even a portion of your yard grow wild, even just for a few weeks, can create space for biodiversity to flourish right outside your door.
Pockets of wilder lawn act like tiny wildlife refuges, connecting yards, parks, and natural areas into something bigger and more resilient. These spaces can create a small oasis in areas otherwise devoid of habitat and floral resources.
Why No Mow May Isn’t a Silver Bullet
While the benefits are real, No Mow May isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s important to understand the full picture before you toss your mower keys into the flowerbed.
Not all lawns are created equal: If your yard is a typical suburban monoculture of turfgrass (especially non-native species like Kentucky bluegrass), letting it grow long won’t magically transform it into a pollinator paradise. Turfgrass alone offers little to no nutritional value for insects. It’s the weedy flowers—including dandelions, clover, and wild blue violets—that make the difference.
Local regulations and neighbors matter: Depending on where you live, there may be city ordinances, HOA rules, or neighbor expectations around lawn maintenance. In some cases, skipping mowing for a full month could lead to fines or friction with your neighbors. A conservation conversation that starts with a citation isn’t exactly ideal.
One month isn’t enough: Even if you skip mowing for all of May, a landscape dominated by turfgrass still isn’t going to provide resilient, lasting habitat for pollinators and other wildlife (especially if you’re planning to mow it all down come June). Real change comes from thinking bigger, adding native plants, reducing turf over time, and reimagining what a beautiful yard can be.
Longer grass isn’t always healthier grass: Letting turfgrass grow unchecked for a month and then mowing it all at once can shock the grass, weaken its root systems, and create other maintenance challenges. A thoughtful, phased approach can be healthier for your lawn and for wildlife (especially species like rabbits that are prone to nesting in taller grasses).
Simply put, No Mow May isn’t perfect, and it’s not the whole solution to a more conservation-minded yard. But it can be a starting point, a first crack in the archaic idea that lawns should be nothing more than tightly controlled patches of green.
Should You Participate in No Mow May?
Maybe! It really depends on your goals, your yard, your community, and your willingness to think a little bigger than just skipping a few mowing sessions. But here’s the thing: even small changes can make a real difference, not just for pollinators, but for an entire web of life unfolding quietly in our neighborhoods. When you let a patch of grass grow longer, even just a forgotten corner by the fence, you’re doing more than letting nature “be messy.” You’re providing critical habitat for a variety of wildlife that will benefit from a lazier approach to landscaping.
If you’re thinking about participating in No Mow May, here are some pragmatic ways to approach it:
Start small: You don’t have to let your entire yard grow wild. Focus on the spaces that already host flowering plants, have poor turf coverage, or naturally stay a little wilder.
Use it as a conversation starter: A small “No Mow May” sign can help explain your messy patch. It may even spark the kind of curious conversations that can shift neighborhood culture toward more biodiversity-friendly yards.
Think beyond May: The best gift you can give pollinators and wildlife is habitat that lasts through all seasons. Think about reducing your overall lawn footprint, planting native species, and building diversity over time.
Adapt to your reality: Maybe you live with strict HOA rules. Maybe you just love a tidy yard. That’s okay. Higher mowing heights, mow-less-often zones, and strategic no-mow areas can still make a real ecological impact.
It’s not about doing everything perfectly. It’s about doing something meaningful, and starting from where you are. No Mow May can be a great first nudge toward seeing your landscape differently—not just as something to control, but as something to steward. But true homegrown conservation is about more than letting things grow for a few weeks each spring. It’s about learning, adapting, and finding joyful ways to create healthier, more resilient yards every season.
Even small changes ripple outward. And sometimes, it starts by simply letting a little wildness grow.