The Hillsborough Tree Board asks you to help give native pollinators a good start to the year by delaying or reducing mowing and by replacing some of your turf lawn with native plants.

The start of the growing season is a critical time for native pollinator species. They emerge then hungry and ready to forage for nectar and pollen. Both food sources can be hard to find in early spring, even in suburban environments.  

Reduce Mowing

Early flowering plant species provide critical food sources for pollinators. By avoiding mowing in March, you help provide a stable nectar and pollen supply at a critical time for pollinators.

Beyond March, the Tree Board encourages residents to reduce the frequency of mowing as much as possible. By mowing less, you reduce your lawn’s need for water, improve drought resistance, reduce emissions from gas-powered lawn equipment and support local biodiversity.

The Tree Board also encourages you to reduce or eliminate applications of herbicide and pesticides to help pollinators and promote biodiversity.

Replace Turf with Flowers

Turf lawns provide limited benefits to the ecosystem. The Tree Board recommends replacing portions of lawns with native flowering plants and grasses, which contribute to biodiversity and provide food and habitat to wildlife throughout the year.

“Keep a lawn where you need and use a lawn,” Public Space and Sustainability Manager Stephanie Trueblood said. “But consider replacing lawns with planted areas where possible. The edges and corners of your yard that you may not use could instead be planted with native plants to support our pollinators.”

The Town of Hillsborough is a Bee City USA and looks for ways to create habitats for native pollinators, including many important species of bees.

See the Tree Board page for more information about initiatives that support native plants and pollinators.