Top native legumes, milkworts, and allies
46 species, native to the US, ranked by caterpillars, then bees and other hosts, food, flowers and shelter.
-
Black Locust
Robinia pseudoacacia
caterpillars
72
hosts
11
food
34
flowers
68
-
Honey Locust
Gleditsia triacanthos
caterpillars
47
hosts
13
food
32
flowers
35
shelter
2
-
Large-leaved Lupine
Lupinus polyphyllus
keystone
caterpillars
43
bees
4
hosts
4
food
13
flowers
104
-
Silky Lupine
Lupinus sericeus
keystone
caterpillars
41
bees
3
hosts
3
food
8
flowers
98
-
Bristly Locust
Robinia hispida
caterpillars
33
hosts
2
food
1
flowers
3
-
Alpine Milkvetch
Astragalus alpinus
caterpillars
28
bees
5
food
9
flowers
34
-
Ground-plum
Astragalus crassicarpus
caterpillars
25
bees
5
food
2
flowers
43
-
Sundial Lupine
Lupinus perennis
keystone
caterpillars
25
bees
2
food
3
flowers
58
-
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
caterpillars
19
bees
1
hosts
9
food
25
flowers
114
-
American Milkvetch
Astragalus americanus
caterpillars
19
bees
3
food
2
flowers
16
-
Seaside Pea
Lathyrus japonicus
caterpillars
16
hosts
1
food
7
flowers
32
-
Showy Tick-trefoil
Desmodium canadense
caterpillars
15
hosts
2
food
3
flowers
38
-
Marsh Pea
Lathyrus palustris
caterpillars
14
hosts
1
food
10
flowers
31
-
Thick-pod White Wild Indigo
Baptisia alba
caterpillars
13
flowers
20
-
Partridge Pea
Chamaecrista fasciculata
caterpillars
11
food
10
flowers
97
-
Carolina Vetch
Vicia caroliniana
caterpillars
11
food
7
flowers
69
-
Veiny Pea
Lathyrus venosus
caterpillars
11
food
3
flowers
18
-
False Indigo Bush
Amorpha fruticosa
caterpillars
10
bees
4
food
5
flowers
10
-
Illinois Tick-trefoil
Desmodium illinoense
caterpillars
10
hosts
2
food
3
flowers
27
-
American Sicklepod
Senna obtusifolia
caterpillars
10
hosts
1
food
1
flowers
5
-
American Wisteria
Wisteria frutescens
caterpillars
10
food
1
flowers
15
-
Longbract Wild Indigo
Baptisia bracteata
caterpillars
10
flowers
25
-
Grayhairy Wild Indigo
Baptisia cinerea
caterpillars
10
flowers
11
-
Fragrant Indigobush
Amorpha nana
caterpillars
7
bees
3
flowers
3
-
Alpine Sweet-vetch
Hedysarum alpinum
caterpillars
7
bees
2
flowers
11
-
Mexican Palo Verde
Parkinsonia aculeata
caterpillars
6
bees
1
hosts
1
food
9
flowers
78
-
Sunshine Mimosa
Mimosa strigillosa
caterpillars
6
food
2
flowers
24
-
Wild Licorice
Glycyrrhiza lepidota
caterpillars
6
food
1
flowers
24
-
Eastern Milk-pea
Galactia regularis
caterpillars
6
food
1
flowers
17
-
Tennessee Milkvetch
Astragalus tennesseensis
caterpillars
6
food
1
flowers
4
-
Limestone Glade Milkvetch
Astragalus bibullatus
caterpillars
6
food
1
flowers
4
-
Kentucky Coffeetree
Gymnocladus dioicus
caterpillars
5
food
1
flowers
16
-
Butterfly Pea
Centrosema virginianum
caterpillars
5
food
1
flowers
13
-
Wislizenus' Senna
Senna wislizeni
caterpillars
5
flowers
4
-
Texas Ebony
Ebenopsis ebano
caterpillars
4
hosts
2
food
2
flowers
4
-
Western Sweet-vetch
Hedysarum occidentale
caterpillars
4
bees
1
food
1
flowers
4
-
Great Leadtree
Leucaena pulverulenta
caterpillars
4
food
5
-
American Senna
Senna hebecarpa
caterpillars
3
flowers
19
-
Aaron's Rod
Thermopsis villosa
caterpillars
3
flowers
7
-
American Groundnut
Apios americana
caterpillars
2
hosts
1
food
7
flowers
31
-
Arizona Redbud
Cercis orbiculata
caterpillars
2
hosts
1
food
2
flowers
11
-
Illinois Bundleflower
Desmanthus illinoensis
caterpillars
2
food
1
flowers
5
-
Sidebeak Pencilflower
Stylosanthes biflora
caterpillars
2
flowers
18
-
Naked-flowered Tick-trefoil
Hylodesmum nudiflorum
caterpillars
2
-
Silvery Scurfpea
Pediomelum argophyllum
bees
1
flowers
2
-
Kentucky Yellowwood
Cladrastis kentukea
flowers
5