Laying Down the Law(n)

Lawns are a popular choice for residential landscaping in Hawai‘i, with the islands’ varying climates heavily dictating which type of lawn homeowners should install. Different types of grasses have different requirements for water, fertilizer and sunlight and have a range of durability levels. In some cases, a lawn might not be the best option at all.

Common Oversights

Homeowners can often forget that the entire expanse of their lawn needs sunlight access, which is occasionally overshadowed by trees, decks or other outdoor elements.

“A very common problem is when people put grass in areas that will be shaded all day long in the winter — for example, you … put the grass on the north side of the house [and] the roof overhangs or the second story shades about like 10 feet, … so it doesn’t get any sunlight throughout the day and the grass dies back or thins,” says Alberto Ricordi, ornamental and landscape extension agent at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience.

When recreational activity is added, the grass continues to wither and cannot regrow until the sun hits those areas during the summer, according to Ricordi.

Watering needs are also often overlooked, with homeowners not taking into consideration the amount of rainfall or water availability in their vicinity when choosing their breed of grass.

“If you are in an area that has natural rainfall, like on the Windward side, that’s good, … but if you are at low elevation, like coastal areas, you’re going to need to water it like almost every day to keep the grass nice and green,” Ricordi advises.

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Environmental Considerations

Traditional lawns have both negative impacts and positive benefits for environmental well-being.

The daily watering of lawns required in drier or coastal areas can contribute to water shortages; and other maintenance tasks, such as mowing and mold control, use fossil fuels for operation.

However, lawns are also used for erosion control and offer a naturally regenerative alternative for recreational areas and landscaping.

Alternatives

Ricordi recommends synthetic turf if you’re seeking a groundcover with minimal maintenance — and thus, less noise pollution — while also remaining durable.

“In areas that are more dry, it’s always good to plant trees” because trees provide shade that keeps the area cooler, Ricordi says. “You can have synthetic turf under the trees [which] won’t get muddy when it’s wet. It can be used as a recreation area with almost all of the benefits of grass but without the maintenance.”

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You can also opt to lessen lawn areas altogether and replace them with native plants if you’re not installing for recreational purposes.

“Crawler” plants, Ricordi says, are good options for low-bearing gardens, such as pohinahina, ʻakiʻaki, pāʻūohiʻiaka and pōhuehue, and don’t require traditional garden barriers. A walking path would need to be established, however, and the plants would need to be periodically pruned; but if you’re looking for minimal water requirements and native plant breeds, these are ideal.

To further decrease water needs, Ricordi says pairing crawlers with trees substantially reduces water requirements once they’re established in the ground. Some tree recommendations from Ricordi are crown flower, plumeria, mango, pū hala, alaheʻe and aʻaliʻi.

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The Bottom Line

Although there are general recommendations based on function and climate types, determining the best choice for your property is up to you. What kind of activity will your landscape be seeing? What are the pros and cons of specific choices? Are there any aesthetic or environmental goals you want to achieve with your property? Whatever the case may be, ensure your option allows both your landscape and home to grow.

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This story appears in the March/April 2026 print issue of Ku‘u Home magazine.