KILLINGWORTH LIONS LANDSCAPING SCORECARD

How environmentally-friendly is your yard? Are you attracting pollinators and housing critical
ecosystems? Could you make your yard “greener”?

You don’t have to sacrifice the beauty and refinement of your garden in order to achieve more biodiversity, increased

populations of pollinators and better water management. In fact, by all of us making small changes in our lawns and

landscaping, we can make Killingworth a healthy home to pollinators and insects that are critical to our food pyramid.

Lawns cover almost 2% of the land in the U.S., representing more than 40 million acres of displaced diverse habitats,

but by planting native plants we can do our part to minimize the damage to ecological systems that depend on this

land. Regardless of lot size, even small changes can have big impacts . Use the Killingworth Lion’s Landscaping

Scorecard below to score your own yard and to identify new opportunities to make your yard more pollinator-friendly

and to minimize your water, fertilizer and pesticide use.

WHY NATIVE PLANTS?

Gardening with native plants doesn’t mean that your yard will be “untamed”, it means minimizing your water, fertilizer

and pesticide use, increasing your pollinating visitors and promoting biodiversity.

In Connecticut, our native plants have been evolving over the past 20,000 years, adapting to our seasons, geography

and climate. They are critical to urban and suburban ecosystems and don’t require much work once established.

Native plants are excellent for water management, which in Killingworth, where all the water we use is emptied into the

Sound, is especially important ​as they require less watering by the landowner. And, without, a need for fertilizer, the water 
draining from our homes to Long Island Sound helps keep water quality high.

Native plants are also able to host significantly more insects, strengthening the base of our food pyramid. For

example, rather than planting to attract butterflies, plant natives that feed butterfly caterpillars. Native plants and

insects have been co-evolving and rely on one another to thrive.

While exotic plants can look new and unique, they do not have the advantages of 20,000 years of adaptation and do

not contribute as much to their surrounding ecosystem. Exotic plants also require much more care--more water, more

fertilizers, more pesticides--and still do not host a fraction of the insects as their native counterparts.

For further information on landscaping with native plants, feel free to contact the Killingworth Conservation
Commission, Killingworth Land Conservation Trust, or send a note to the Killingworth Lions, and we’ll be
sure you’re pointed in the right direction.
 NATIVE PLANTS FOR ANYWHERE

Barren strawberry (Waldsteinia fragariodes)

Moist-to-Dry Soil Zone 4-9 Hardiness
Barren strawberry looks similar to strawberry plants, but with showy yellow flowers (and no
edible fruit). Like strawberries, barren strawberry will spread quickly by runners, making it a
good ground cover. The leaves are evergreen, at least during Connecticut's milder winters.
Yellow flowers in spring and summer. 4-8 inches tall.

NATIVE PLANS FOR THE SHADE

Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)

Average-to-Moist Soil Zone 3-8 Hardiness
Foamflower's charms have just recently begun to be appreciated by gardeners and plants
breeders. Foamflower has spikes of fluffy white flowers that rise above a carpet of soft green
leaves. It blooms strongly in late spring, and, if it has consistently moist soil, it will continue to
produce the occasional flower spike until frost. Foamflower spreads by stolons, so it can be
used as a ground cover. The leaves will stay green through mild winters. 8-12 inches tall.

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

Average-to-Moist Soil Zone 3-8 Hardiness
Bloodroot is one of the earliest wildflowers of spring. In March, the delicate white flowers
appear, each with a broad leaf wrapped protectively around its stalk. Bloodroot goes dormant
around mid-summer. Ferns make good companions, as they tend to emerge late in spring. By
the time bloodroot goes dormant, ferns can fill in the gap. 6 inches tall.

Wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata)

Average-to-Moist Soil Zone 3-8 Hardiness
Lightly fragrant clusters of lilac-colored flowers grace this woodland plant in spring. The
flowers reward close inspection -- each petal is shallowly notched at the tip, and appears to
have been pinched where it joins the center of the flower. Wild blue phlox is considered a
"Great Plant for American Gardens" by the American Horticultural Society. 1 foot tall.

Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens)

Average-to-Moist Acidic Soil Zone 3-9 Hardiness
Partridgeberry is a member of that essential garden category, the shade-loving evergreen
ground covers. It is one of the best choices for dark shade. Partridgeberry spreads across the
ground by vining stems, growing only two inches high. Its leaves are small and dark green,
often with light-colored veins. Partridgeberry has white flowers in early summer; in fall and
winter it is ornamented by bright red fruits. 2” tall.
Solomon’s plume (Mianthemum racemosum, syn. Smilacina racemosa)
Dry to Moist Soil Zone 4-8 Hardiness
This is a graceful plant for the woodland garden. In spring, clusters of starry white flowers are
borne at the ends of arching stalks. Solomon's plume is easy to grow, and it spreads fast --
give it lots of room or be prepared to weed out excess. Its cousin ​starry Solomon's plume
(Maianthemum stellatum) is another worthwhile garden plant, more restrained in its habits.
Both plants have interesting berries; red-spotted in Solomon's plume, and striped like a beach
ball in starry Solomon's plume. 1-2.5 feet tall.

Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum)

Moist Soil; Acidic Preferred Zone 3-9 Hardiness
This charming woodland plant has soft lavender flowers in spring. Even when wild geranium
is not in bloom, the distinctive, deeply cut leaves provide a decorative effect. If it is planted in
a moist woodland spot, wild geranium may spread slowly by seed. 1-2' tall.

Wild ginger (Asarum canadense)

Dry-to-Moist Soil Zone 3-8 Hardiness
An easy, tolerant plant that makes a good ground cover. Its bold, heart-shaped leaves create
a pleasing texture in the garden. The roots smell very much like ginger, though this plant is
not related to culinary ginger. Wild ginger has interesting triangular flowers in spring, but
finding them requires getting down on hands and knees -- they bloom just above the ground.
(Click on the photo to the left to see an image of wild ginger in bloom.) 6" tall.

White wood aster (Eurybia divaricata)

Dry-to-Average Soil Zone 4-8 Hardiness
A good ground cover for tough situations. White wood aster thrives in dry shade, so it can be
planted beneath shallow-rooted trees such as maples and elms. The flowers are not
especially showy, but they are long-lasting, and an individual plant may be in bloom for two
months. Foliage grows 6" high; flower stalks 18-24".

Bearberry, kinnickinick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)

Dry-to-Average Soil Zone 2-6 Hardiness
Bearberry is a useful ground cover that is handsome year-round. The leaves are glossy and
evergreen. Small pink or white flowers in late spring are followed by bright red berries, popular
with ground-dwelling birds. In winter, the stems become red and the leaves take on a dark red
tint. Bearberry grows well in exposed, rocky or sandy sites; it also tolerates acid soil and the
salt spray of seaside locations. 4" tall.
Wild red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Average-to-Moist Soil Zone 3-9 Hardiness
It's hard to think of a more graceful plant than the wild columbine, with its spurred
red-and-yellow flowers nodding on slender stems. These, like many red flowers, attract
hummingbirds. The delicately scalloped leaves form a neat mound of foliage. Wild red
columbine, like most columbines, tends to seed itself in the garden (though not such much as
to be a nuisance). In the wild, this plant prefers growing in the alkaline soil of limestone rocks,
but in the garden it will grow in anything except very strongly acidic soil. 1-2' tall.

NATIVE PLANTS FOR THE SUN

Cardinal flower (lobelia cardinalis)

Moist Soil (part shade) Wet Soil (Full Sun) Zone 3-9 Hardiness
In the wild, cardinal flower grows mostly in sunny swamps, but it will grow in moist garden soil
if given part shade. Cardinal flower blooms in mid- to late summer; the brilliant red flowers are
a favorite of hummingbirds. It is considered a "Great Plant for American Gardens" by the
American Horticultural Society. 3' tall.

Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris)

Moist-to-Wet Soil Zone 2-7 Hardiness
In the wild, marsh marigold grows in shallow water or marshy soil, but it doesn't need a marsh
-- it will grow in moist garden soil. In mid-spring, its glossy, bright yellow flowers really grab
one's attention. The plant goes dormant by mid-summer, so it makes a good companion for
late-emerging plants, such as ferns. 1' tall.

New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

Average-to-Wet Soil Zone 3-9 Hardiness
There are hundreds of species of asters, but one of the best for gardens is our New England
aster. (The American Horticultural Society lists it as a "Great Plant for American Gardens".)
New England aster lights up the fall garden with its cheerful flowers, resembling purple
daisies. This is a tall plant, good for the back of the garden. Frankly, its lower leaves can look
tatty by fall, so keep it behind other plants. 3-5' tall.

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Dry-to-Average Soil Zone 3-9 Hardiness
True to its name, butterfly weed is marvelous for attracting butterflies. The "weed" label,
however, is entirely undeserved; it's not weedy in its looks or habits. The handsome, dark
green foliage is topped with bright orange flowers in July and August. Butterfly weed has a
long tap root that makes the plant highly drought-resistant, but also makes mature plants
tricky to transplant. Container-grown plants, however, transplant easily. 2-3' tall.
 NON-TOXIC PESTICIDES, FUNGICIDES, HERBICIDES & INSECTICIDES

70% of the world’s food crops are, at least partially, pollinated by bees and the bee population has been dwindling
down at an alarming rate, thought to be due to loss of habitat, viruses and use of toxic chemicals like pesticides. If you
want to be bee-friendly (and overall more environmentally-friendly) you don’t have to say goodbye to your pesticides,
you just have to be more mindful of the components.

For starters, just because a bottle reads “organic” does not mean that it is harmless towards bees or that it’s non-toxic.
These organic substitutes are often plant-based, meaning it’s components do not break down easily in the soil. So
how do you know if something would be non-toxic and harmless?

Check each the bottle to see if it contains any of these ​toxic​ ​chemicals:

● Rotenone ● Insecticidal soaps and ● Neem

● Pyrethrins Oils ● Ryania
● Sabadila ● Copper ● Sulphur
● Spinosad ● Boric Acid ● Lime sulphur
● Diatomaceous earth ● Horticultural Vinegar
● Copper sulfate ● Adjuvants

Non-toxic c​ omponents that won’t harm pollinators include:

● Garlic ● Corn gluten

● Kaolin clay ● Bacillus thuringiensis

To further avoid harming any pollinating visitors you should also wait until after the blooming season has finished
before using any chemicals. It is also advised you do it on a dry day to minimize the amount of toxins it absorbs and
only apply products to specimens that have shown signs of being affected.

You also want to make sure that any insecticides you are using don’t harm beneficial insects like ladybugs. In fact, you
might find that purchasing and distributing a large swarm of ladybugs or praying mantis eggs will reduce unwanted
flies, beetles, aphids and moths better than chemical alternatives.

RESOURCES

https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/conservation/PollinatorScoreCard/Documents/SolarSiteLayoutExample.pdf

https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/conservation/PollinatorScoreCard/Documents/IllinoisSolarSitePollinatorHabitatP
lanningForm.pdf

https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/conservation/PollinatorScoreCard/Documents/SolarSitePollinatorEstablishment
Guidelines.pdf

https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/conservation/PollinatorScoreCard/Pages/default.aspx