Lawn Alternatives

Planting a native meadow is a challenging endeavor under the best circumstances. For Marylanders, the task is stymied by a lack of commercially available seed, and complicated by an abundance of misinformation about species selection. This fact sheet provides information on selecting species and obtaining seeds for planting a native meadow in Maryland's Coastal Plain ecoregions. The species recommended are based on those typically observed thriving in man-made meadows throughout the area. It is our hope that the species list will help landscape professionals and native seed producers in their efforts to meet the growing demand for meadow installation projects in Maryland.