Don’t Send Us to the Landfill – How to “Leave the Leaves”

Note: Several of these insects would be in their cocoon, chrysalis or larval stage when hiding in the leaves, but are shown in their more recognizable stage.

So you’ve got a yard full of leaves…and you’ve heard that you should “leave the leaves”. But what should you do with all those leaves? It’s an American tradition to rake those leaves up, maybe jump in the piles a few times, and then dispose of them. But this tradition is very destructive to a lot of native creatures that depend on that layer of fallen leaves for survival.

So, how to handle the fallen leaves in a sustainable way, without incurring the wrath of your neighbors?

First, a few facts:

When you bag up leaves and send them off with the rubbish, they often end up in landfills where they can’t properly decompose due to lack of oxygen, producing methane, a greenhouse gas. Even for the approximately 60% that gets composted, bagging your leaves means that many butterfly, moth and firefly larvae end up going to the landfill or compost station with the leaves. And the long term practice of removing leaves significantly depletes organic material from the soil, a result that is not easily reversed.

By keeping leaves on your property, you’re not only saving landfill space but also reducing your carbon footprint and enriching your soil.

Many species of butterflies, moths, bees and other insects hibernate in leaf litter through the winter, either hidden under the leaves or in the leaves disguised as sticks or leaves. This includes swallowtail and fritillary butterfly larvae and luna moth larvae. Look under the leaves and you can find fireflies in their larval stage (which can last up to two years); they overwinter by burrowing into the ground under leaf litter. Queen bumblebees are the only ones to survive winter; they hibernate alone, also burrowed into the ground under the leaves. Ladybugs congregate in numbers and enter dormancy under leaves and in logs. Solitary native bees overwinter in the pupal stage, protected by fallen leaves. Woolly bear caterpillars nestle into leaf litter and go dormant until spring.

In addition to insects, amphibians (toads and salamanders) often tuck themselves under layers of leaves to escape the cold. Year-round bird residents like robins, wrens, and sparrows scratch through leaves looking for insects to eat when other food is scarce.

So, leaf removal is bad for soil and wildlife health. But how do you deal with all those leaves without killing your grass and annoying your neighbors? Mowing or shredding the leaves will convert them to small particles that easily decompose into the soil, but it also destroys any insects that have taken refuge in the leaves.

Like any attempt to improve sustainability, you don’t have to take an all or nothing approach!

This little chart from the Homegrown National Park shows some ways to deal with leaves, from best to worst. Combine different approaches for different areas of your property to find a method that works for you.

From Homegrown National Park

A short fence can keep leaves under your trees for “soft landings”.

If you only do one thing, create “soft landings” under your largest native trees
The number one thing you can do from an entomologist’s perspective is plant an oak tree and leave the leaves that fall off the oak tree. When you leave the leaves directly under a tree, you are creating what’s called a “soft landing”. This allows insect larvae that fall directly from the tree to land in an area of soft leaves and soil, so they can burrow underground for the winter. Keep in mind that traditional bark mulch is very difficult for insects to burrow through, so use the leaves for mulch instead of bark. No oaks? While oaks are host plants for more species of insects than any other tree, creating soft landings under other native trees will provide great benefits. Watering down the leaves when you first rake them will help keep them in place. Adding a low fence of mesh or other material can hold the leaves in place. If you do remove them in the spring, wait until late spring, when many of the insects have emerged from their cocoons or chrysalis. Click on the drawing below for more info on “soft landings”.

Other good things to do:
Rake leaves into perennial or shrub beds instead of bagging them. Over time, they’ll create a layer that suppresses weeds, insulates plant roots and feeds the soil as they decompose. Keep the depth to no more than about 3-5 inches for optimum benefit.

Compost piles
While keeping in mind that if your pile is too deep, the insects are not going to get the cues that they need to know when it’s time to emerge, and the energy required to emerge will reduce their survival, you will still benefit by using the leaf mulch compost created by the leaves.

Leave the logs and stems too!
Many insects, like native bees, overwinter inside of hollow dried flower stems or in decaying logs and branches. Allow the dried, brown stems of your plants to remain through the winter and only cut them down to 18-24 inches tall in late spring. Decaying logs are great habitat for fireflies, ladybugs, amphibians and other beneficial creatures.

Rake, don’t use a leaf blower
The high velocity of leaf blowers can destroy fragile cocoons and chrysalis (in addition to their air and noise pollution).

Won’t all this kill the grass? And what about the neighbors?
A heavy layer of leaves can hold in moisture and smother grass. A light layer of leaves can retain nutrients and enrich the soil, but not if they blow away to the neighbor’s yard! Fenced areas will give you more leeway to experiment than open areas of lawn. Intentionality can go a long way to making your actions acceptable to the neighborhood – if you have clearly defined borders between cleared areas of lawn, with fallen leaves confined to areas under trees or in garden beds or compost piles, your yard will still look like it’s been cared for, and you won’t be sharing your leaves with the neighbors.

Sources:

Removing autumn leaves in residential yards reduces the spring emergence of overwintering insects  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969725004565?via%3Dihub

Why Leaving the Leaves is Better for Your Yard
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/realestate/leaving-leaves-yard.html

Legacy effects of long-term autumn leaf litter removal slow decomposition rates and reduce soil carbon in suburban yards
https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ppp3.10499

The Science Behind “Leave the Leaves”
https://www.backyardecology.net/leave-the-leaves/

How to Leave the Leaves
https://www.nwf.org/-/media/Documents/PDFs/Garden-for-Wildlife/Tip-Sheets/How-to-Leave-the-Leaves.pdf

Leave the Leaves to Save Fireflies
https://blog.nwf.org/2024/09/leave-the-leaves-to-save-fireflies/

I’m not raking my leaves this year – and neither should you
https://www.countryliving.com/uk/homes-interiors/gardens/a69088494/leave-leaves-for-wildlife-and-soil/

Leave the Leaves: Why Less Cleanup Means More Life
https://homegrownnationalpark.org/leave-the-leaves-why-less-cleanup-means-more-life/