To finish with the perfect lawn

Only a few weeks left before we see dozens of little yellow buds blooming on the province’s lawns. Although the Dandelion Challenge is experiencing spectacular growth, outside of the month of May, this so-called invasive plant is still considered an enemy. Wrongly, underlines the biologist Claude Lavoie in his recent essay, Dandelion vs. Lawn – A Story of Love, Hate and Lawn Mower.

In Quebec, as in Ontario or the United States, the lawn is a divisive subject. Most like it green, well-trimmed and uniform. An ideal advocated by the landscaping industry for decades and encouraged by municipalities which even regulate its length.

Claude Lavoie questions this concept of grass, but before you interrupt reading this article to return to your fertilizers, let us point out that the biologist, full professor at the Superior School of Territorial Planning and Regional Development of Laval University, does not sign an indictment against the lawn. Rather, it explores in a nuanced and science-based way this complex relationship we have with the dandelion, particularly the so-called dandelion, a plant of Eurasian origin that was introduced to North America in the 17th century.^e century.

After writing his work 50 invasive plants, protecting nature and agriculture, published in 2019, Claude Lavoie saw his fascination with the dandelion grow. “Its biology is interesting, but also the sociological phenomenon associated with it. Why do we hate this plant which is, after all, very harmless? Dandelion is not a threat to agriculture or health (dandelion pollen does not travel in the air, but it is often confused with the plant’s fluffy seeds which are not allergenic, explains -he). This is a nuisance to a lawn design. »

However, until the end of the Second World War, the social norm was quite different and tended more towards wasteland than perfect grass, until then the prerogative of the wealthy classes. If the norm changed after the war, it was because economic growth led city dwellers to leave the city for the suburbs and settle in modest houses, but with large plots of land suitable for lawns, says Claude Lavoie.

If the approach of certain companies tends to evolve, they come up against the desires of their customers who are still attached to their green lawn… except in May, for several years.

Save the bees, really?

The launch of the Dandelion Challenge in 2021 – inspired by the No Mow May movement in the United States – has fueled the biologist’s fascination with this unloved plant. Remember that at the initiative of the couple of beekeepers from Miel & Co, Quebecers are invited, throughout the month of May, not to mow their lawn, in order to provide nectar and pollen to pollinating insects and, more broadly , to raise public awareness of their essential contribution.

“It’s very special because in the space of two or three years, the dandelion, this plant hated by suburbanites, was transformed into an environmental hero of modern times who would save the bees,” wonders Claude Lavoie .

What is it really? There is no scientific evidence of the impact of the Dandelion Challenge or No Mow May on pollinators. A study carried out in the town of Appleton, Wisconsin in 2020 tended to demonstrate a greater abundance of bees on unmown land, but the study was retracted in 2022 by the publication PeerJ“after having noted several potential inconsistencies in the processing and communication of data”.

“There are still other studies which show that the dandelion is really useful, but above all as a source of nectar, not as a source of pollen,” adds Claude Lavoie. The first, sweet, is the source of energy for honey bees, while pollen is their main source of protein. However, the pollen of the dandelion, the most common in Quebec, is not rich enough to meet the needs of domestic bees.

He adds that dandelion not only benefits honeybees, but also other native pollinators like wild bees and bumblebees.

“So to your question: is it of any use? Opinions differ. It doesn’t save the bees, that’s clear. […] It’s a first step towards a healthier urban environment and among those who let dandelions grow in May, there are some who will take additional steps. You have to take people where they are. »

Will the reality of climate change destroy the perfect lawn? Quebec is still far from Nevada where “non-functional” lawns have been banned in the south of the state, but the multiplication of drought episodes risks damaging our green lawns. “We will have to learn to live with beige lawns,” predicts Claude Lavoie. The industry has cultivars that use less water, but that’s not what consumers are buying. Most of the time, they buy the grass that drinks a lot to stay green. »

Dandelion vs. Lawn – A Story of Love, Hate and Lawn Mower

Claude Lavoie

Multimondes Editions

240 pages