01 - News Desk

Lawn and Landscape Industry News

Lawn and landscape news reporting from inside the industry. We cover what actually moves the price of a $50 lawn treatment, a $5,000 fertilization program, or a $50,000 landscape install. The six forces driving the industry in 2026: fertilizer commodity swings, EPA and state pesticide regulatory action, water restrictions tightening across the West, consolidation among the top operators (BrightView, Davey Tree, TruGreen, Ruppert), labor market shifts via the H-2A program, and the smart-irrigation rebate programs restructuring the irrigation install business.

The short version

The US lawn care market hit $62.91B in 2026, forecast at 4.85% CAGR to $79.68B by 2031
The US landscaping market grew from $186B (2025) to $196B (2026), 5.46% CAGR to $255B by 2031
EPA glyphosate registration review expected October 2026, SCOTUS heard Monsanto v Durnell April 22, 2026
BrightView (NYSE: BV) has now completed 34 acquisitions; PE multiples for premium operators reach 12x EBITDA
Cosmetic pesticide bans expanding (NY neonics, MD restrictions); state water audit programs tightening
Updated daily Tuesday through Friday by the HMNDP Editorial Team

Featured reporting

MARKETS

US Lawn Care Market Hits $62.9B in 2026

Real Mordor Intelligence numbers, top 5 operators, what’s driving the 4.85% CAGR.

COURTS

Monsanto v Durnell: SCOTUS Hears Pesticide Liability

April 22, 2026 oral arguments. The FIFRA preemption question reshaping Roundup litigation.

EPA

EPA Glyphosate Registration Review October 2026

What the updated risk assessment means for applicators and new label changes for spray drift.

The story arcs we follow

Our news desk runs on six recurring beats. Each one tracks across multiple stories per month, building a continuity of reporting most trade outlets do not maintain.

Consolidation and PE roll-ups

BrightView Holdings has now done 34 acquisitions to date. Independent operators are being courted at 6 to 12x EBITDA multiples by an active set of private equity funds. Read the PE landscape for the funds active in the space, the multiples being paid, and what makes a contractor attractive to a financial buyer.

Regulatory action at EPA and state ag departments

The pesticide regulatory environment is moving faster than at any point since the FQPA in 1996. Track EPA’s glyphosate registration review, the NY DEC neonicotinoid ban expansion in December 2026, and the spread of cosmetic pesticide ordinances to municipalities outside the original NY and MD jurisdictions.

Independent vs roll-up: who is holding out

While BrightView and TruGreen consolidate, two of the top five operators stay employee-owned: Davey Tree at 145 years and Ruppert Landscape. The ESOP structure is becoming a credible alternative exit path for owners who do not want to sell to PE.

The Bayer Roundup residential exit aftermath

Bayer phased out glyphosate in US residential Roundup formulations by 2023. The big-box aftermath: triclopyr, fluazifop, and diquat-based replacements. Read the full reshape.

Subscribe to the weekly briefing

Every Tuesday morning we publish the digest: five minutes of read time, the news that actually moved the price of a contract or the law of a state. Subscribe: editor@hmndp.org.

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