Illinois recently took a step toward protecting native plants by passing HB5296, otherwise known as the Homeowners' Native Landscaping Act.
This recently passed act will make it illegal for homeowners associations to prohibit residents or owners from planting or growing plant species that are native to Illinois on the residents' or owners' land. This exciting change will enable millions of homeowners across the state to convert their money-guzzling grass lawns to native gardens that will help support the local ecosystem.
This is a significant step for Illinois because HOAs often enforce strict rules and regulations regarding gardens and lawn maintenance. As reported by Smile Politely, this bill removes "the most significant barrier to replacing lawns with native plantings" and is a win for gardeners, the environment, and pollinators across the state.
Traditional lawns are a drain on resources, as they require a lot of watering and chemicals to remain healthy, which can quickly get expensive — Americans spend around $30 billion a year on lawn care alone. Grass also requires continual maintenance, which takes up time while providing very little benefit to humans and wildlife.
Converting part of your lawn to a native garden or rewilding the whole yard can have several benefits, including reducing those maintenance and water bills. Native plants can also protect against flooding, especially when incorporated into a rain garden, and provide homes for a wide range of local wildlife, including pollinators, which are essential for food production.
While native plants clearly have a lot of benefits, HOAs have been against these alternatives to traditional lawns, and some residents who have made the switch have been forced to change their gardens back. Their strict rules and regulations have often prevented residents from making other money-saving changes, such as installing solar panels, and one HOA even banned electric cars from its parking garage.
However, there are ways people can work with HOAs to ease the restrictions in place.
This new bill in Illinois marks great progress toward reducing the power HOAs have over homeowners and residents, and it has received plenty of positive attention online.
"Wonderful win for IL and I'm so happy for the collective that made it happen," one person wrote on the subreddit r/NativePlantGardening.
"Can Texas please pass this," another commenter wrote.
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