Hi! I have been lurking on this forum and reading about ground cover alternatives to grass. I am on Southern California - Zone 9 B.
I finally ripped out my grass lawn and replaced it with drip irrigation, then planted Lippia aka phyla nodiflora throughout. It is a California native plant [CalScape Article on Lippia], and is much cheaper than Kurapia. I was paying <$20 a flat for it.
So far, the Lippia has done great, especially in the parts of the yard that I planted with lots of sun and in the heat of the summer (August, with temp up to 115F). It has required minimal drip irrigation (sometimes none at all during cooler weather) once it was established, has spread easily, and attracted lots of pollinators.
I made a video showing the lawn, since it seems rather rare to see Lippia lawns here:
Best GRASS LAWN Alternative - Lippia (Phyla Nodiflora)- Drought Tolerant, California Native, & Cheap
Hopefully this helps others. I'm happy to answer questions about the lawn too!
cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
dchall_san_antonio
divyanshu abhichandani
HU-105635199