Scotts Miracle-Gro Company pledges $1 million to help restore the South Lawn of the White House following Sunday’s UFC event at White House.
Following the Freedom 250 event on June 14 – a centerpiece of the 250th anniversary of the nation celebration – the company will provide funding, products and technical expertise to the National Park Service as it restores the historic lawn.
For investors, the high-profile White House project serves as a showcase for Scotts’ research and development division. It comes as the $3.3 billion company navigates a stagnant U.S. real estate market where traditional lawn ownership faces headwinds from flat homeownership rates and changing urban demographics.
“The scale and scope of our R&D department is impressive,” Nate Baxter, chief operating officer of Scotts Miracle-Gro, told FOX Business, noting that the company is leveraging its research capabilities to expand into organic and biological alternatives to synthetic fertilizers. “I believe Scotts Miracle-Gro has the power in terms of the investment we’re making in R&D, to bring in natural and organic products, to bring in organic products.”
TRUMP UNVEILS $700M COAL INDUSTRY SUPPORT PLAN USING DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT
The South Lawn of the White House is set to undergo a restoration effort following this weekend’s UFC Freedom 250 event. (Courtesy of Scotts Miracle-Gro)
The upcoming mixed martial arts event has attracted considerable attention regarding the physical impact on the White House grounds, which currently houses a massive 92-foot-tall temporary venue known as “The Claw,” erected on the turf.
Because the land is managed by the National park Service, Scotts structures the contribution as a philanthropic gift.
Trump Considers Reclassifying Marijuana As Least Dangerous Drug: REPORT
President Donald Trump is pictured with members of the Scotts Miracle-Gro team in the Oval Office. Scotts plans to provide financing, products and technical expertise for the restoration of the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House photo by Molly Riley)
Restoration is more complex than a standard landscaping project. Washington DC’s climate presents unique challenges, with freezing winters and hot, humid summers.
To address these conditions, Scotts brought his research team to the White House to review proprietary seed options with the president. Donald Trumpwho brought his own experience in territory management to the meeting.
“The president knows a lot about turf. I think about his history and his history with golf courses,” Baxter noted. “It was really interesting to see our touring scientists and President Trump talking about each of them.”
WHITE HOUSE UNVEILS TRUMP ACCOUNTS MOBILE APP AHEAD OF JULY 4 DEPLOYMENT
Scotts Miracle-Gro researchers are examining turf samples as part of the company’s effort to develop a custom seed mix for the White House South Lawn. (Scotts Miracle-Gro)
Scotts showcased several seed varieties before settling on a custom blend of four seeds designed to withstand heavy prep equipment and helicopter landings.
“Creating a proprietary blend tailored to the unique conditions of the White House presented a distinct set of challenges,” Matthew Koch, R&D Lawns researcher at Scotts Miracle-Gro, said in a press release. “It’s a functional lawn that has to withstand hundreds of events and thousands of people every year.”
The physical restoration will take place in stages over the next year. The National Park Service will first dismantle the UFC infrastructure, followed by a pre-planned public infrastructure project on the land.
Between now and July, Scotts will begin restoration by installing mature turf to quickly stabilize and re-green the space before moving on to its custom seed mix later in the year.
Teleprinter Security Last Change Change % SMG SCOTTS MIRACLE-GRO CO. 61.67 -0.21 -0.34% “We’re going to work, we picked out a turf, and it’s not the same as the mix, but it has some of the same cultivars, we’re going to help them get going again and establish a plot,” Baxter said.
Once cooler fall temperatures arrive, technicians will overseed the lawn with the custom blend of four seeds selected for the project. A final overseeding and fertilization in spring 2027 will complete the restoration.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Although the exact White House blend is a one-time donation to the National Park Service and will not be released commercially, Scotts has confirmed that the underlying cultivars are present in their retail product lines.
By spring 2027, the company expects the restoration to be complete, returning the South Lawn from a UFC fight weekend to its more familiar role of hosting state ceremonies, public events and Marine One landings.
