Hello Travis,

Thank you for the question.

Our native grasses in Michigan, Big blue stem, Little bluestem, Indiangrass, switchgrass were common in areas in Michigan with Oak Savannas. Depending on soil types they can have deep root systems. Root depth is very dependent on soil type as heavy soils will have limited oxygen levels thus limiting root growth at a few feet. Loamy soils sites can have deeper root depth such as in the great plains. Of course soils vary across Washtenaw and in some places there are soils that are better drained and would allow more oxygen at a deeper depth. The following website provides a description of many of our native grasses with Big bluestem being one that can have a root system down quite deep, especially in the loamy soils of the prairies.

https://www.johnson.k-state.edu/docs/crops-livestock/native-grass-seed/Native%20Grass%20ID.pdf

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For non-native grasses, fine fescues (strong creeping red fescue, slender creeping red fescue, Chewings fescue, hard fescue, and sheep fescue) can make a reasonable lawn that grows to a limited height and can simulate a cultured lawn space. Fine fescue lawns require very little fertilization, are highly drought tolerant and require little or no cultural care (2 to 3 mowings per season). If you are not in an area covered by a nuisance lawn ordinance, you may not require any mowings. https://extension.umn.edu/lawns-and-landscapes/planting-and-maintaining-fine-fescue-lawn

There are types of fine fescue grasses, called Hard and Sheep fescue that are often used in median of divided roads where they will not be fertilized or watered. Hard and sheep fescue are often planted with a small percentage of common Kentucky bluegrass which will fill in between the fescue plants. The Hard and Sheep fescue are used in areas where they will not be fertilized or watered. Another choice is to use a blend of cultivars of tall fescue. This grass has a deeper and larger root mass than our other grasses and is hardy in areas where there is low fertility and drier conditions.

http://purdueturftips.blogspot.com/2014/08/fescue-you-mean-theres-more-than-one.html

Liriope ‘No Mow” is amazing, but it is non-native. It is about 3-4” in height, dark evergreen and really makes a full, thick-looking lawn substitute. You can mow once in a while for a very “groomed” look. Straight Liriope is also very tolerant of mowing twice a year.

Prairie dropseed is another great turf substitute, but it can look very “hairy” at times. It is taller, over 12 inches and it blooms. It has great characteristics as a “clumper” not a “runner.”

Carex pennsylvanica is another low-growing sedge that is a decent turf-alternative. It is low maintenance, requires some regular weeding and possibly a mowing once a year. One of the few issues a gardener might see with this sedge is rust in wet seasons.

While any of these lawn substitutes need little cultural care once established, you will need to weed the area and possibly supply supplemental watering until they are well established.

Also, clover is an excellent supplement in a no mow lawn. It is an interesting plant in that it converts nitrogen in our air into nitrogen along its roots that can be used by the grass plants, By mixing clover with a fine fescue you can get a grass that requires very little cultural care once established. An excellent resource on clover in the lawn is https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/ilriverhort/2016-03-18-microcloversa-new-lawn-alternative

Here is an excellent Ask Extension Reference on using clover in a lawn: https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=825723

Here are some additional references on no-mow lawn alternatives:

https://extension.psu.edu/lawn-alternatives

https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/rhonda-ferrees-ilriverhort/2015-04-10-lawn-alternatives

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/TURF-67-W.pdf

No matter what you choose, your most difficult period o time will be sowing from seed. During that time, the weed seeds are likely to germinate and grow quickly. You may need to be a little vigilant while the seeds are emerging, and then once established, you should be able to thin the weeds with a broadleaf herbicide such as 2, 4-D.