Top native plants
39 species, native to the US, ranked by caterpillars, then bees and other hosts, food, flowers and shelter.
-
White Oak
Quercus alba
keystone
caterpillars
383
hosts
104
food
163
flowers
49
shelter
6
-
Black Willow
Salix nigra
keystone
caterpillars
372
bees
10
hosts
29
food
91
flowers
169
-
Post Oak
Quercus stellata
keystone
caterpillars
349
hosts
92
food
131
flowers
28
shelter
4
-
Water Oak
Quercus nigra
keystone
caterpillars
342
hosts
97
food
121
flowers
29
shelter
2
-
Swamp White Oak
Quercus bicolor
keystone
caterpillars
341
hosts
81
food
114
flowers
40
shelter
2
-
American Plum
Prunus americana
keystone
caterpillars
304
hosts
14
food
64
flowers
167
shelter
1
-
River Birch
Betula nigra
keystone
caterpillars
287
hosts
15
food
47
flowers
31
shelter
1
-
Sweet Birch
Betula lenta
keystone
caterpillars
282
hosts
21
food
49
flowers
10
shelter
1
-
Carolina Willow
Salix caroliniana
keystone
caterpillars
255
bees
6
hosts
24
food
63
flowers
109
-
Smooth Alder
Alnus serrulata
caterpillars
183
hosts
4
food
29
flowers
8
-
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
-
Mockernut
Carya tomentosa
caterpillars
104
hosts
72
food
32
flowers
7
shelter
2
-
Valley Oak
Quercus lobata
keystone
caterpillars
83
hosts
51
food
41
flowers
25
shelter
6
-
Pond Pine
Pinus serotina
caterpillars
83
hosts
4
food
34
flowers
4
shelter
4
-
Canadian Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
caterpillars
73
hosts
4
food
23
flowers
22
-
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
caterpillars
58
bees
3
hosts
8
food
68
flowers
101
shelter
1
-
American Hornbeam
Carpinus caroliniana
caterpillars
55
hosts
6
food
15
flowers
6
-
Southern Wild Raisin
Viburnum nudum
caterpillars
44
hosts
1
food
19
flowers
66
-
American Witch-hazel
Hamamelis virginiana
caterpillars
44
hosts
1
food
10
flowers
16
-
Smooth Sumac
Rhus glabra
caterpillars
32
bees
1
hosts
3
food
39
flowers
178
-
Shining Sumac
Rhus copallinum
caterpillars
31
bees
1
hosts
2
food
47
flowers
136
-
American Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua
caterpillars
29
hosts
3
food
25
flowers
18
shelter
1
-
Black Tupelo
Nyssa sylvatica
caterpillars
23
hosts
3
food
41
flowers
15
shelter
2
-
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
caterpillars
19
bees
1
hosts
9
food
25
flowers
114
-
Baldcypress
Taxodium distichum
caterpillars
15
hosts
8
food
9
flowers
3
-
Sweetbay Magnolia
Magnolia virginiana
caterpillars
13
food
4
flowers
11
-
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
caterpillars
11
bees
1
hosts
1
food
2
flowers
140
-
Cucumber-tree
Magnolia acuminata
caterpillars
10
food
4
flowers
6
-
Saw Palmetto
Serenoa repens
caterpillars
6
food
5
flowers
73
-
White Fringetree
Chionanthus virginicus
caterpillars
6
food
1
flowers
2
-
Red Mulberry
Morus rubra
caterpillars
5
hosts
2
food
18
flowers
2
shelter
1
-
Red Chokeberry
Aronia arbutifolia
caterpillars
3
food
10
flowers
37
-
Blue Mistflower
Conoclinium coelestinum
caterpillars
2
food
1
flowers
196
-
Moss Phlox
Phlox subulata
caterpillars
2
food
1
flowers
49
-
Carolina Silverbell
Halesia carolina
caterpillars
2
flowers
4
-
Prairie Phlox
Phlox pilosa
caterpillars
1
flowers
64
-
Blue Phlox
Phlox divaricata
caterpillars
1
flowers
55
-
Northern Green-and-gold
Chrysogonum virginianum
flowers
7