There is no single feature that makes a yard ecologically strong. A space can have plenty of flowers but little shelter, or mature trees but intensive chemical use. YardEcoScore is designed to look at the yard as a connected system rather than rewarding one isolated feature.
1. Native plant foundation
One of the first things YardEcoScore considers is how much of the planted landscape is made up of plants native to the region, along with the presence of native trees and shrubs. The goal is not to tell homeowners that every nonnative ornamental must disappear. It is to understand whether native vegetation forms a meaningful part of the yard’s foundation.
For many homeowners, improving this part of the yard can be gradual: replacing plants as they fail, adding a small native bed, or choosing native shrubs when a new screen or border is needed.
2. Habitat diversity and wildlife support
A yard with multiple vegetation layers can function very differently from a yard where nearly everything is the same height. YardEcoScore looks at features such as canopy trees, smaller trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses, and low-growing vegetation. It also considers whether the yard offers natural food across seasons and places where wildlife can shelter, nest, overwinter, or reproduce.
This is why a yard does not need to look wild everywhere to have habitat value. A dense shrub, retained leaf layer, standing stems, host plants, or a small meadow area can each contribute something different.
3. Lawn and landscape intensity
Conventional turf can still have a place in a functional yard. YardEcoScore is more interested in how dominant the lawn is and how intensively it is managed. A smaller, lower-input lawn surrounded by more diverse planting creates a different ecological picture than a property where nearly all plantable space is frequently mowed turf.
The practical opportunity is often not “remove your lawn.” It can simply be “choose one area that does not need to be lawn anymore.”
YardEcoScore is intentionally designed around improvement, not perfection. A small change in the right part of the yard can matter more than a large change made only because it sounds environmentally friendly.
4. Pesticides and chemical inputs
The way a yard is treated matters alongside what is planted in it. YardEcoScore asks about broad or routine pesticide use, targeted applications, and whether the homeowner actively avoids persistent systemic insecticides when possible. This part of the assessment helps distinguish a yard that merely looks green from one that is being managed with ecological function in mind.
5. Soil and natural yard processes
Leaves, stems, and other plant material are often treated as waste, but YardEcoScore considers how much of that material remains part of the yard’s natural cycle. Retaining some leaves in beds, composting material onsite, and delaying some garden cleanup can all change how much habitat and organic material remains in the landscape.
Many of the recommendations in this area cost nothing. That is intentional: a useful ecological assessment should not turn every opportunity into a shopping list.
6. Water and stormwater
Finally, YardEcoScore looks at where rainfall goes and how much supplemental irrigation the landscape needs. Roof runoff that reaches planted areas, rain gardens, captured water, and efficient irrigation can all affect how a yard handles water. The assessment also recognizes that the simplest improvement may be observing where water currently flows before buying anything.
The bottom line
An eco-friendly yard is not defined by one product, one plant, or one visual style. YardEcoScore looks across several parts of the landscape to create a practical 0–100 picture of where the yard is already functioning well and where the biggest opportunities may be.
The score is meant to be directional, not a professional ecological site survey or a claim of perfection. Its most useful job is to help a homeowner answer a simpler question: What should I improve next?