No Mow May: Hundreds To Leave Lawns Long In Edina To Help Pollinators

EDINA, MN — More than 800 Edina residents are set to leave their mowers in storage for at least another four weeks as part of the city’s “No Mow May” initiative to support pollinators in the region.

The Edina City Council adopted a resolution in March declaring May as "No Mow May.” The resolution directs inspectors to temporarily suspend enforcement of portions of the City Code from May 1 through June 15.

Residents at 847 properties have registered to participate in the city’s new initiative, as of 3 p.m. Monday, according to officials.

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The Edina City Code requires residents to cut their lawns before the length of grass or any weed reaches 10 inches in height. Residents who register for “No Mow May” will not receive citations for violations of turf and weed ordinances throughout May. Residents will have until June 15 to bring their lawns back into compliance with city codes.

The temporary enforcement suspension only applies to residential lawns.

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Those who are not registered for the program will be encouraged to participate if the city receives complaints about their properties, but officials will enforce codes if they do not register, according to the memo.

Edina residents must register by May 15 to participate.

The city's "No Mow May" initiative is partly based on recent research that suggests bees and pollinators use no-mow spaces as key floral resources in the upper Midwest during early spring, according to the resolution passed last month.

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Grace Hancock, Edina’s sustainability manager, said the city has seen a “positive response” from residents at eligible properties, as well as from residents in townhomes, condo associations and other cities that want to participate.

“Regardless of their living situation, the City has seen through the popularity of this program how people want their homes and yards to reflect their values, and are looking for ways to take climate actions that are meaningful, manageable and make common sense,” Hancock told Patch on Monday.

Edina is one of at least four municipalities in the Twin Cities region where residents are participating in the “No Mow May” initiative. West St. Paul, Mendota Heights and New Brighton have also passed similar resolutions, the Twin Cities Pioneer Press reported.

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Participation in the initiative “supports all of Minnesota’s pollinators,” which include native bees, honey bees, ants, flies, birds and butterflies, Hancock said.

Leaving mowers in storage through May protects habitats for native bees and lets plants that are rich in nectar and other nutrients grow as pollinator food “at a time when pollinators need it most,” Hancock said.

“No Mow May” aligns with Edina’s “commitment to climate action, and provides an opportunity for community members to be a part of a more climate resilient Edina that in a small way helps ensure a healthy environmental future for all,” Hancock said.

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Edina adopted a Climate Action Plan in December that included a goal of increasing "pollinator supportiveness.” Edina officials are aiming to replace 250 acres of lawns by 2030 with native grasses and wildflowers, which improve water quality and reduce air pollution, among other benefits, according to the plan.

Click here to find more information about the “No Mow May” initiative and pollinator plants.

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