In this post I will highlight some native edible plants that can grow in your yard to replace your lawn and still comply with less strict HOA, city, and county ordinances. “Short” is under 10 inches.
- Lyreleaf Sage
- Plantains
- Wild Lettuce
- Wood Sorrel
- Mugwort
Clover
Clover comes in two common varieties, Red (Clemson) and White. We get ours from Marietta Seed and Feed for a very reasonable price. The main Benefits of clover are
Lyreleaf Sage

- Native
Self-Heal
Prunella Vulgaris ssp. Lanceolata is a native herb with a ton of health benefits that is also in the mint family, however it does not taste or smell like mint. Benefits include:

- Pollinators love it
- Prolific
- Easy to manage
- Native
Plantains
This will include both Broadleaf and Longleaf/ribwort Plantain. One of my favorites, it is edible and used to sooth the throat or rub on bug bites to immediately relieve the itching. Benefits of having it in your yard include:

- Edible
- Pollinators love it
- Short except when flowering
- Prolific
- Easy to manage
Wild Lettuce
Wild Lettuce is a very useful and edible plant. I like to use leaves in my ramen and make tea to immediately relieve cold symptoms. This will grow very large, but you can harvest it whenever it gets too big and harvest it’s natural Lactucarium.

Wood Sorrel

- Edible*
- Used Medicinally Historically
- Pollinators love it
- Short height
Mugwort
Dandelion
I could not make a useful plant list without including one of my favorite plants, the Common Dandelion. while most people thing its just a weed, when controlled it does not drown out biodiversity and can help break up compacted soil. Also it has long been used as a superfood and survival food that is packed with vitamins and minerals. Reasons to add it to your yard:

There you have it! Now go out and find some of these plants on a nature walk and spread the seeds into your own yard. Try to include them all! You won’t regret it!