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A bill which aims to prevent Texas homeowner associations from prohibiting use of native grasses or zeriscapes in landscaping was signed into law on June 13, 2013.
Senate Bill 198 was strongly supported by the Native Plant Society and several of our members provided information to the legislature committee while it was under consideration. This is an important step not only in making native plant lawns more acceptable but it will help conserve water.
Residential lawns planted with typical lawn grasses like St. Augustine require copious amounts of water to grow in arid regions of Texas — far in excess of what a native plant landscape might require. In fact landscape watering accounts for one-third of residential water use in Texas. Too often barriers, including outdated homeowner association policies, stand in the way of homeowners who are trying to do their part to conserve water.
This is just one of several water conservation bills signed into law that session. Our current drought is making everyone painfully aware of the importance of water conservation, and we are glad to see the legislature and the governor supporting the effort.
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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: Bill Hopkins
