Top native plants
32 species, native to the US, ranked by caterpillars, then bees and other hosts, food, flowers and shelter.
-
Post Oak
Quercus stellata
keystone
caterpillars
349
hosts
92
food
131
flowers
28
shelter
4
-
Bluejack Oak
Quercus incana
keystone
caterpillars
299
hosts
84
food
95
flowers
31
-
Sand Live Oak
Quercus geminata
keystone
caterpillars
264
hosts
66
food
81
flowers
29
-
Carolina Willow
Salix caroliniana
keystone
caterpillars
255
bees
6
hosts
24
food
63
flowers
109
-
Box Elder
Acer negundo
caterpillars
197
hosts
18
food
72
flowers
71
shelter
5
-
Striped Maple
Acer pensylvanicum
caterpillars
162
hosts
13
food
49
flowers
8
shelter
1
-
American Elm
Ulmus americana
caterpillars
135
hosts
10
food
79
flowers
76
shelter
4
-
Green Ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
caterpillars
112
hosts
29
food
39
flowers
8
shelter
4
-
Shagbark Hickory
Carya ovata
caterpillars
109
hosts
64
food
44
flowers
19
shelter
3
-
Bitternut Hickory
Carya cordiformis
caterpillars
106
hosts
60
food
36
flowers
20
shelter
2
-
Water Hickory
Carya aquatica
caterpillars
99
hosts
54
food
27
flowers
6
-
Table Mountain Pine
Pinus pungens
caterpillars
96
hosts
5
food
37
flowers
4
shelter
2
-
Smooth Shadbush
Amelanchier laevis
caterpillars
83
hosts
5
food
20
flowers
24
-
Butternut
Juglans cinerea
caterpillars
73
hosts
13
food
19
flowers
5
-
Canadian Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
caterpillars
73
hosts
4
food
23
flowers
22
-
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis
caterpillars
71
hosts
7
food
21
flowers
4
shelter
1
-
Grand Fir
Abies grandis
caterpillars
71
hosts
6
food
11
shelter
3
-
Sand Pine
Pinus clausa
caterpillars
69
hosts
3
food
32
flowers
5
shelter
2
-
Honey Locust
Gleditsia triacanthos
caterpillars
47
hosts
13
food
32
flowers
35
shelter
2
-
Common Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis
caterpillars
37
hosts
31
food
34
flowers
62
shelter
2
-
American Sycamore
Platanus occidentalis
caterpillars
36
hosts
3
food
17
flowers
28
shelter
3
-
American Black Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
caterpillars
29
hosts
1
food
52
flowers
95
-
Sassafras
Sassafras albidum
caterpillars
28
hosts
3
food
33
flowers
52
-
Black Tupelo
Nyssa sylvatica
caterpillars
23
hosts
3
food
41
flowers
15
shelter
2
-
Southern Catalpa
Catalpa bignonioides
caterpillars
6
hosts
1
food
3
flowers
3
shelter
1
-
Red Mulberry
Morus rubra
caterpillars
5
hosts
2
food
18
flowers
2
shelter
1
-
Kentucky Coffeetree
Gymnocladus dioicus
caterpillars
5
food
1
flowers
16
-
Gumbo Limbo
Bursera simaruba
caterpillars
3
food
60
flowers
11
-
Arizona Redbud
Cercis orbiculata
caterpillars
2
hosts
1
food
2
flowers
11
-
Carolina Buckthorn
Frangula caroliniana
caterpillars
2
food
1
flowers
2
-
Carolina Silverbell
Halesia carolina
caterpillars
2
flowers
4
-
American Olive
Cartrema americanum
caterpillars
1
food
21
flowers
1