Objective

Grass is the use of turf lawns in the United States, a non-edible “crop” covering an estimated 40 million acres and often described as the nation’s most irrigated plant community. In this context, grass denotes conventional, non-native turf around homes, offices, roadsides, and parks that can consume about one-third of residential water nationally and up to 60% in arid regions. Many common species (e.g., “Kentucky bluegrass”) are non-native, and their adoption was accelerated by 19th–20th century efforts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and collaboration with the United States Golf Association, alongside post-World War II suburbanization exemplified by Levittown. Maintenance has relied on synthetic fertilizers and herbicides such as 2,4-D and glyphosate/Roundup, which have drawn environmental and health scrutiny (see Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring). Small off-road engines used for mowing and trimming are significant urban air-pollution sources, per the U.S. EPA. Municipal “weed” ordinances and homeowners-association covenants often standardize lawn appearance, while water-stressed jurisdictions promote alternatives: turf-removal rebates in Phoenix and Los Angeles encourage xeriscaping, native plants, and lower-input landscapes.

Watch

Subjective

Contexts

• #random