Top native plants
49 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
-
River Birch
Betula nigra
keystone
caterpillars
287
hosts
15
food
47
flowers
31
shelter
1
-
Swamp Rose
Rosa palustris
caterpillars
113
hosts
11
food
35
flowers
102
-
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
keystone
caterpillars
99
bees
32
hosts
21
food
49
flowers
524
shelter
4
-
White Heath Aster
Symphyotrichum ericoides
keystone
caterpillars
89
bees
33
hosts
2
food
18
flowers
284
shelter
1
-
Rocky Mountain Maple
Acer glabrum
caterpillars
83
hosts
7
food
25
flowers
8
shelter
1
-
White Meadowsweet
Spiraea alba
caterpillars
76
hosts
1
food
16
flowers
283
-
New York Aster
Symphyotrichum novi-belgii
keystone
caterpillars
75
bees
23
hosts
2
food
28
flowers
220
-
Yellow Buckeye
Aesculus flava
caterpillars
17
hosts
1
food
3
flowers
10
-
Eastern Wild Indigo
Baptisia tinctoria
caterpillars
13
food
1
flowers
53
-
Tall Blue Wild Indigo
Baptisia australis
caterpillars
13
flowers
55
-
Thick-pod White Wild Indigo
Baptisia alba
caterpillars
13
flowers
20
-
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
caterpillars
12
food
15
flowers
5
-
Southern Magnolia
Magnolia grandiflora
caterpillars
11
food
34
flowers
19
-
Spiked Wild Indigo
Baptisia albescens
caterpillars
11
flowers
12
-
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
-
American Sicklepod
Senna obtusifolia
caterpillars
10
hosts
1
food
1
flowers
5
-
Grayhairy Wild Indigo
Baptisia cinerea
caterpillars
10
flowers
11
-
Devil's Bite
Liatris scariosa
caterpillars
9
hosts
1
flowers
93
-
Wild Potato Vine
Ipomoea pandurata
caterpillars
7
bees
5
hosts
3
food
7
flowers
44
-
Sweet Pepperbush
Clethra alnifolia
caterpillars
6
food
3
flowers
179
-
Shaggy Blazing Star
Liatris pilosa
caterpillars
5
hosts
1
flowers
79
-
Desert Zinnia
Zinnia acerosa
caterpillars
5
food
3
flowers
71
-
Pickerelweed
Pontederia cordata
caterpillars
4
bees
3
food
7
flowers
124
-
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
caterpillars
3
bees
7
food
11
flowers
173
-
Prairie Rosinweed
Silphium integrifolium
caterpillars
3
bees
6
hosts
1
food
8
flowers
73
-
American Century Plant
Agave americana
caterpillars
3
food
5
flowers
3
-
American Bladdernut
Staphylea trifolia
caterpillars
3
food
1
flowers
35
-
Chives
Allium schoenoprasum
caterpillars
2
hosts
1
food
12
flowers
160
-
Plantain-leaved Pussytoes
Antennaria plantaginifolia
caterpillars
2
hosts
1
food
1
flowers
59
-
Goat's Rue
Tephrosia virginiana
caterpillars
2
flowers
35
-
Woolly Dutchman's Pipe
Aristolochia tomentosa
caterpillars
2
flowers
15
-
Pipevine
Aristolochia macrophylla
caterpillars
2
-
Giant Blue Sage
Salvia azurea
caterpillars
1
food
12
flowers
140
-
Wooly Spiderwort
Tradescantia sillamontana
caterpillars
1
food
2
flowers
13
-
Florida Rosemary
Ceratiola ericoides
caterpillars
1
food
1
flowers
2
-
Fringed Bluestar
Amsonia ciliata
caterpillars
1
flowers
20
-
Lizard's Tail
Saururus cernuus
caterpillars
1
flowers
9
-
Maryland Golden-aster
Chrysopsis mariana
bees
12
flowers
16
-
Yellow Trout Lily
Erythronium americanum
bees
1
flowers
26
-
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
food
2
flowers
186
-
Narrow-leaved Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium angustifolium
food
1
flowers
48
-
Tall Thimbleweed
Anemone virginiana
food
1
flowers
12
-
Southern Blue Flag
Iris virginica
flowers
39
-
Rock Harlequin
Capnoides sempervirens
flowers
5
-
Kentucky Yellowwood
Cladrastis kentukea
flowers
5
-
Carolina Sweetshrub
Calycanthus floridus
flowers
1
-
Yellow Anise
Illicium parviflorum