More fake lawns may be coming to your neighborhood. From the front yards of West Miami-Dade to the waterfront mansions of Fort Lauderdale, artificial turf is appearing more and more.
And with the spread of artificial turf comes a mounting number of questions and criticisms — about everything from how it looks to how it impacts the environment, the climate and even human health. This stuff, made of plastic, can get absolutely skin scorching in the extreme heat of a South Florida summer.
But some homeowners still prefer it over natural, said Yoandy Perez, who has installed artificial turf at multiple homes in one East Hialeah neighborhood because they like that it looks neat year-round and saves on landscaping costs.
“The city doesn’t like concrete, but they want green,” said Perez. “Many