My landlords HOA would bitch at me if my grass was slightly too long.
That’s how I feel every time I have to mow the lawn even though I’m renting from them.
Free labor for them.
Is it in your lease that you need to mow the lawn? Here, it’s the landlord’s responsibility unless you specifically agree to it.
check with local state and native plant groups – there’s several cases where native plant species are protected even from HOAs
for California, the Monkeywrench Collection