When parking lots are abandoned and left alone, the amount of time they stay clean and usable varies widely depending on the specific conditions of that lot and its location. Some lots last just months before being overtaken by nature, while others can last more than five years without any maintenance at all! What’s the difference between these two scenarios? Read on to find out why some parking lots last so long!

An asphalt parking lot – how it looks like

a parking lot paved with asphalt is abandoned. decribe the parking lot 5 yeas after its abandonment 

I walk into the abandoned, desolate asphalt parking lot and look around at the empty space. I remember back when it was bustling with cars coming in and out every day. Now, it sits still, waiting for someone to come along and bring it back to life. I can’t help but feel sad as I watch all of the lights go off one by one until there are no more left on at night. The old building stands like a ghost, haunting the land that it once ruled over. I see old tire tracks cut through the grass from where they dragged vehicles out onto their final resting place. At this point, you’d have to be blind not to see how long ago this place had been inhabited. The emptiness is apparent even before you get close enough to read the sign that says For Sale.

An empty asphalt parking lot – what happens to it over time

A parking lot paved with asphalt is abandoned. decisribe the parking lot 5 yeas after its abandonment. In the first year, weeds grow in the cracks of the pavement while a few trees start forming a canopy in one corner of the lot. The second year, bushes and shrubs start growing on both sides of what used to be the parking lines and a small tree sprouts in the center of where most cars were parked. The third year, vines cling onto any free surface they can find and their leaves cover much of the ground in summer; but by winter they are brown and brittle, only surviving on whatever water that has accumulated in puddles from rain or snowmelt. It takes about six years for grass to form a solid green carpet over all the concrete. Another ten years for it to turn into short-cropped lawn with occasional clumps of wildflowers here and there. By then, some young saplings have grown into mature trees alongside the building and provide shade from direct sun in some parts of the day. Finally, thirty years after it was left behind, very little remains of what was once a heavily trafficked parking lot – instead you’ll see evidence that this space has become part of nature’s cycle once again as animals use it as their home.

How nature reclaims it

Nature will gradually take over the parking lot and it will become a place of tall weeds, shrubs, and flowers. The weeds will grow through the cracks in the asphalt and grasses will sprout up from underneath the parking lot. The trees that were there before will start to regain their power and continue to grow. Over time, vegetation overtakes the parking lot with all sorts of flowers taking over. Flowers are able to take over because they have a strong root system, while plants without roots such as grass can’t survive in this type of environment. Plants will spread their seeds around the area and new species of plants will eventually form. There is also the chance that animals could inhabit the area and use it for shelter or food.