A traditional sod lawn is the thirstiest thing in a Las Vegas yard, and it is the hardest thing to keep green through July. You do not have to give up green space to fix that. There are three routes: a living groundcover that looks and feels like a lawn on a fraction of the water, artificial turf, or a desert design with no lawn at all. We install all three and will tell you honestly which one fits how you use the yard.
Living groundcovers
These are low-growing plants that fill in like a lawn, stay green most of the year and drink far less than fescue or Bermuda. All three below appear on the Southern Nevada Water Authority's regional plant list or are sold locally as water-smart lawn replacements. Each has a best use.
Kurapia lawn
Kurapia is a sterile hybrid groundcover that spreads by runners and never goes to seed, so it stays where you plant it. It grows an inch or two tall, needs little or no mowing, and puts out small white flowers that pollinators like. SNWA rates its water need as medium to low. Its deep roots handle Las Vegas heat once established.
- Best for: front yards, side yards and open areas you look at more than you walk on
- Traffic: light to moderate; it is not a sports field
- Care: hand-weed during the first season while it fills in; broadleaf weed killers will damage it, so weed control is by hand or pre-emergent
- Planting: plugs or sod-style rolls, usually established in one growing season
Dichondra
Dichondra is a soft, round-leaved groundcover that reads as a lush lawn from the street. Local growers rate it at 40 to 50 percent less water than grass. It stays green in triple-digit heat, needs little to no mowing, and is naturally pest resistant.
- Best for: smaller lawns, courtyards and areas with some afternoon shade
- Traffic: light to moderate foot traffic
- Care: keep it off high-traffic paths; it bruises under constant use
- Planting: seed or plugs
Micro clover
Micro clover is the toughest of the three underfoot. It handles foot traffic, shrugs off pet urine spots, fixes its own nitrogen so it needs very little fertilizer, and keeps growing in both heat and cold. It can be left shaggy or mowed occasionally for a uniform look.
- Best for: backyards with kids and dogs, play areas, the lawn you actually use
- Traffic: high
- Care: occasional mowing if you want it even; a micronutrient feed every few years
- Planting: seed, often blended into an existing lawn as it transitions
Artificial turf
If the lawn is for the kids, the dog or a putting green, artificial turf is the no-water, no-mow answer and the one we install most. Modern turf drains fast, stays cooler than the old products and lasts 15 years or more. See our artificial turf installation page for products and pricing.
Desert landscaping
The lowest-water option is no lawn at all: decomposed granite, boulders, desert trees and shrubs on drip, with pavers or flagstone where you walk. It is also the design that qualifies for the biggest rebates. See desert landscaping and our water rebates page.
Irrigation for groundcovers
A groundcover lawn still needs water, just much less and delivered differently. We convert spray heads to subsurface drip or low-flow heads, add a pressure regulator and filter, and set a schedule that follows SNWA's seasonal watering days. Done right, the system is also what makes the conversion eligible for a rebate.
Rebates
Removing grass and replacing it with an approved groundcover on drip can qualify for the SNWA Water Smart Landscapes rebate, currently $5 per square foot (rebate amounts are subject to change), as long as the rules are followed: apply and get the site visit before any grass comes out, meet the plant-coverage requirement, and finish within 12 months. Henderson and Las Vegas Valley Water District customers get extra on top. We handle the design to meet the rules and walk you through the application. Details are on our water rebates page.
Which one is right for you?
Tell us how the yard gets used and we will recommend one, or a mix: micro clover where the kids play, kurapia in the front, turf for the putting green. We are a family-owned, third-generation Las Vegas landscape company and every project starts with a free on-site estimate. If you want to convert the whole yard at once, financing is available; ask about it at the estimate.
Book a free consultation and let's figure out the right lawn alternative for your yard.