When considering Prairie vs. Turf Grass one may ask the following:
1. What are in the Environmental Implications?
2. What is the Visual Impact?
3. What is the Bottom Line?

1. Environmental Implications
Native Prairie Benefits:

Greater carbon sequestration (average 0.93 tons/acre annually*)
Roots are deep and assist in stormwater infiltration and retention
No watering, fertilization, or mowing required
Reduces soil erosion and nutrient pollution
Promotes habitat and wildlife, and supports pollinators

*Piñeiro et al. (2009) Set-asides can be better climate investment than corn ethanol.
Ecological Applications 19:277-82

2. Visual Impact
Native Prairie takes about 3 years to show maturity. However, with patience and early management and maintenance it has the potential to become a community asset.
At Murphy Warehouse’s Fridley campus over 33,000 semi-trailer trucks run through the neighborhood each year, yet the #1 comment received by CEO Richard Murphy is,
“...oh , you’re the guys with all the pretty flowers on Main Street.”

3. The Bottom Line
The economic benefits of Native Prairie greatly outweigh that of Traditional Turf Grass when considering true life-cycle costs, which include maintenance costs, and ROI.

Manicured Turf Lawn costs 7.3 x more to maintain than Native Prairie.*
Native Prairie provides a ROI in 1.28 years! *

*Murphy (2014) Business Case for Sustainability, Balancing Economic & Environmental Factors