Top native plants
42 species, native to the US, ranked by caterpillars, then bees and other hosts, food, flowers and shelter.
-
Carolina Laurelcherry
Prunus caroliniana
keystone
caterpillars
209
hosts
11
food
59
flowers
74
-
Box Elder
Acer negundo
caterpillars
197
hosts
18
food
72
flowers
71
shelter
5
-
Silver Maple
Acer saccharinum
caterpillars
167
hosts
16
food
74
flowers
35
shelter
3
-
Downy Hawthorn
Crataegus mollis
caterpillars
125
hosts
6
food
29
flowers
63
-
Big-fruit Hawthorn
Crataegus macrosperma
caterpillars
125
hosts
6
food
28
flowers
11
-
Pecan
Carya illinoinensis
caterpillars
124
hosts
58
food
51
flowers
12
shelter
2
-
American Beech
Fagus grandifolia
caterpillars
121
hosts
23
food
57
flowers
15
shelter
4
-
Green Hawthorn
Crataegus viridis
caterpillars
117
hosts
6
food
29
flowers
12
-
One-flowered Hawthorn
Crataegus uniflora
caterpillars
114
hosts
6
food
27
flowers
12
-
Parsley Hawthorn
Crataegus marshallii
caterpillars
110
hosts
6
food
26
flowers
14
-
Shellbark Hickory
Carya laciniosa
caterpillars
99
hosts
54
food
29
flowers
6
-
Sand Hickory
Carya pallida
caterpillars
99
hosts
52
food
28
flowers
6
-
Seaside Alder
Alnus maritima
caterpillars
93
hosts
2
food
11
flowers
3
-
Nutmeg Hickory
Carya myristiciformis
caterpillars
92
hosts
48
food
25
flowers
6
-
Eastern Mayhaw
Crataegus aestivalis
caterpillars
62
hosts
2
food
6
flowers
7
-
Winged Elm
Ulmus alata
caterpillars
55
hosts
4
food
52
flowers
14
-
Blueblossom
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
caterpillars
49
hosts
3
food
21
flowers
68
-
Stiff Dogwood
Cornus foemina
caterpillars
46
bees
2
hosts
6
food
51
flowers
71
-
American Sycamore
Platanus occidentalis
caterpillars
36
hosts
3
food
17
flowers
28
shelter
3
-
American Persimmon
Diospyros virginiana
caterpillars
33
hosts
2
food
19
flowers
45
shelter
2
-
Sugar Hackberry
Celtis laevigata
caterpillars
24
hosts
17
food
36
flowers
3
-
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
caterpillars
19
bees
1
hosts
9
food
25
flowers
114
-
Yaupon Holly
Ilex vomitoria
caterpillars
10
bees
3
hosts
3
food
25
flowers
38
-
Osage-orange
Maclura pomifera
caterpillars
10
hosts
4
food
7
flowers
5
shelter
1
-
Shrubby Cinquefoil
Dasiphora fruticosa
caterpillars
9
food
17
flowers
127
shelter
1
-
Southern Catalpa
Catalpa bignonioides
caterpillars
6
hosts
1
food
3
flowers
3
shelter
1
-
Desert Zinnia
Zinnia acerosa
caterpillars
5
food
3
flowers
71
-
Kalm's St. John's-wort
Hypericum kalmianum
caterpillars
5
food
2
flowers
30
-
Large-leaved Aster
Eurybia macrophylla
caterpillars
4
bees
7
hosts
3
food
1
flowers
53
-
American Smoketree
Cotinus obovatus
caterpillars
4
-
Gumbo Limbo
Bursera simaruba
caterpillars
3
food
60
flowers
11
-
Arizona Redbud
Cercis orbiculata
caterpillars
2
hosts
1
food
2
flowers
11
-
Cenizo
Leucophyllum frutescens
caterpillars
2
flowers
45
-
Showy Skullcap
Scutellaria serrata
caterpillars
2
flowers
9
-
Southern Bush Honeysuckle
Diervilla sessilifolia
caterpillars
2
flowers
5
-
Scentless Mock Orange
Philadelphus inodorus
caterpillars
1
bees
2
hosts
1
food
1
flowers
41
-
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
caterpillars
1
hosts
1
food
8
flowers
42
-
Blackfoot Daisy
Melampodium leucanthum
bees
1
flowers
21
-
Engelmann Daisy
Engelmannia peristenia
flowers
29
-
Carolina Sweetshrub
Calycanthus floridus
flowers
1
-
Yellow Anise
Illicium parviflorum
-
Peyote
Lophophora williamsii