Top native plants
74 species, native to the US, ranked by caterpillars, then bees and other hosts, food, flowers and shelter.
-
Hairy White Oldfield Aster
Symphyotrichum pilosum
keystone
caterpillars
76
bees
24
hosts
3
food
26
flowers
333
-
American Black Nightshade
Solanum americanum
caterpillars
36
bees
1
hosts
2
food
34
flowers
22
-
Carolina Horsenettle
Solanum carolinense
caterpillars
35
hosts
3
food
23
flowers
36
-
Dogfennel
Eupatorium capillifolium
caterpillars
35
hosts
1
food
8
flowers
140
-
Common Ragweed
Ambrosia artemisiifolia
caterpillars
34
hosts
2
food
54
flowers
28
-
Dwarf Plantain
Plantago virginica
caterpillars
33
hosts
1
food
4
flowers
8
-
Smooth Sumac
Rhus glabra
caterpillars
32
bees
1
hosts
3
food
39
flowers
178
-
Common Lambsquarters
Chenopodium album
caterpillars
32
hosts
1
food
59
flowers
12
-
Fringed Willowherb
Epilobium ciliatum
caterpillars
28
food
11
flowers
30
-
Bristle Thistle
Cirsium horridulum
caterpillars
25
bees
10
hosts
1
food
14
flowers
164
-
Redroot Amaranth
Amaranthus retroflexus
caterpillars
23
food
33
flowers
4
shelter
1
-
Horseweed
Erigeron canadensis
caterpillars
22
bees
20
hosts
5
food
28
flowers
284
-
Swamp Thistle
Cirsium muticum
caterpillars
22
bees
9
hosts
1
food
13
flowers
113
-
Pasture Thistle
Cirsium pumilum
caterpillars
19
bees
9
hosts
1
food
11
flowers
126
-
Groundsel Tree
Baccharis halimifolia
caterpillars
17
bees
9
hosts
6
food
7
flowers
80
-
Palmer's Amaranth
Amaranthus palmeri
caterpillars
16
food
15
flowers
4
shelter
1
-
Catchweed Bedstraw
Galium aparine
caterpillars
14
hosts
2
food
17
flowers
35
-
Heartleaf Nettle
Urtica chamaedryoides
caterpillars
14
food
1
flowers
1
-
Prickly Fanpetals
Sida spinosa
caterpillars
13
hosts
1
food
2
flowers
38
-
Waterpepper
Persicaria hydropiper
caterpillars
12
hosts
1
food
32
flowers
66
-
Roundleaf Greenbrier
Smilax rotundifolia
caterpillars
12
food
27
flowers
7
-
Rough Cocklebur
Xanthium strumarium
caterpillars
12
food
15
flowers
14
-
American Sicklepod
Senna obtusifolia
caterpillars
10
hosts
1
food
1
flowers
5
-
Slender Path Rush
Juncus tenuis
caterpillars
9
food
27
-
Eastern Poison Ivy
Toxicodendron radicans
caterpillars
8
hosts
6
food
42
flowers
25
-
Pinkweed
Persicaria pensylvanica
caterpillars
8
hosts
1
food
39
flowers
82
-
Smooth Carrionflower
Smilax herbacea
caterpillars
8
food
6
flowers
16
-
American Pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
caterpillars
7
hosts
1
food
60
flowers
112
-
Carolina Crane's-bill
Geranium carolinianum
caterpillars
7
bees
1
food
2
flowers
91
-
Reed Canary Grass
Phalaris arundinacea
caterpillars
7
food
16
flowers
34
-
Mexican Tea
Dysphania ambrosioides
caterpillars
7
food
14
flowers
1
-
Sawbrier
Smilax glauca
caterpillars
7
food
6
flowers
2
-
Nodding Spurge
Euphorbia nutans
caterpillars
6
bees
3
food
21
flowers
52
-
Dwarf Cinquefoil
Potentilla canadensis
caterpillars
6
bees
2
hosts
1
food
9
flowers
62
-
Spotted Spurge
Euphorbia maculata
caterpillars
6
bees
2
food
25
flowers
43
-
Prostrate Sandmat
Euphorbia prostrata
caterpillars
6
bees
2
food
21
flowers
36
-
Hyssop Spurge
Euphorbia hyssopifolia
caterpillars
6
bees
1
food
13
flowers
31
-
Saw Greenbrier
Smilax bona-nox
caterpillars
6
food
31
flowers
5
-
Bog Yellowcress
Rorippa palustris
caterpillars
6
food
11
flowers
19
-
False Nettle
Boehmeria cylindrica
caterpillars
5
hosts
1
food
1
flowers
15
-
Yellow Nutsedge
Cyperus esculentus
caterpillars
5
food
24
-
Common Reed
Phragmites australis
caterpillars
5
food
17
flowers
5
-
Mat Sandbur
Cenchrus longispinus
caterpillars
5
-
Graceful Spurge
Euphorbia hypericifolia
caterpillars
4
food
13
flowers
26
-
American Burnweed
Erechtites hieraciifolius
caterpillars
4
food
5
flowers
101
-
Water Purslane
Ludwigia palustris
caterpillars
4
food
2
flowers
13
-
Florida Hedgenettle
Stachys floridana
caterpillars
4
flowers
23
-
Southern Marsh Yellowcress
Rorippa teres
caterpillars
4
flowers
22
-
Purple Cudweed
Gamochaeta purpurea
caterpillars
4
-
Hedge Bindweed
Calystegia sepium
caterpillars
3
bees
2
hosts
1
food
8
flowers
67