Top native plants
46 species, native to the US, ranked by caterpillars, then bees and other hosts, food, flowers and shelter.
-
Shumard Oak
Quercus shumardii
keystone
caterpillars
360
hosts
95
food
111
flowers
33
shelter
2
-
Southern Live Oak
Quercus virginiana
keystone
caterpillars
321
hosts
91
food
107
flowers
28
shelter
2
-
River Birch
Betula nigra
keystone
caterpillars
287
hosts
15
food
47
flowers
31
shelter
1
-
American Turkey Oak
Quercus laevis
keystone
caterpillars
285
hosts
74
food
92
flowers
28
-
Sand Live Oak
Quercus geminata
keystone
caterpillars
264
hosts
66
food
81
flowers
29
-
Dwarf Live Oak
Quercus minima
keystone
caterpillars
250
hosts
54
food
72
flowers
26
-
Myrtle Oak
Quercus myrtifolia
keystone
caterpillars
233
hosts
56
food
68
flowers
30
-
White Spruce
Picea glauca
caterpillars
172
hosts
6
food
34
flowers
9
-
Black Hawthorn
Crataegus douglasii
caterpillars
139
hosts
8
food
36
flowers
18
-
Basswood
Tilia americana
caterpillars
129
hosts
15
food
44
flowers
65
shelter
3
-
Big-fruit Hawthorn
Crataegus macrosperma
caterpillars
125
hosts
6
food
28
flowers
11
-
Waxy-fruited Hawthorn
Crataegus pruinosa
caterpillars
123
hosts
6
food
29
flowers
11
-
Green Ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
caterpillars
112
hosts
29
food
39
flowers
8
shelter
4
-
Lodgepole Pine
Pinus contorta
caterpillars
112
hosts
13
food
30
flowers
4
shelter
6
-
Parsley Hawthorn
Crataegus marshallii
caterpillars
110
hosts
6
food
26
flowers
14
-
Entangled Hawthorn
Crataegus intricata
caterpillars
107
hosts
6
food
23
flowers
15
-
Seaside Alder
Alnus maritima
caterpillars
93
hosts
2
food
11
flowers
3
-
American Hophornbeam
Ostrya virginiana
caterpillars
85
hosts
7
food
26
flowers
5
shelter
1
-
Sitka Spruce
Picea sitchensis
caterpillars
83
hosts
3
food
18
flowers
2
-
Red Osier Dogwood
Cornus sericea
caterpillars
68
bees
3
hosts
6
food
73
flowers
138
-
Sweetfern
Comptonia peregrina
caterpillars
67
food
4
flowers
4
-
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
-
Common Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis
caterpillars
37
hosts
31
food
34
flowers
62
shelter
2
-
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
-
Black Tupelo
Nyssa sylvatica
caterpillars
23
hosts
3
food
41
flowers
15
shelter
2
-
American Holly
Ilex opaca
caterpillars
16
bees
3
hosts
4
food
31
flowers
59
-
Baldcypress
Taxodium distichum
caterpillars
15
hosts
8
food
9
flowers
3
-
Southern Magnolia
Magnolia grandiflora
caterpillars
11
food
34
flowers
19
-
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
-
Common Yucca
Yucca filamentosa
caterpillars
8
food
2
flowers
2
-
Cabbage Palmetto
Sabal palmetto
caterpillars
6
food
14
flowers
29
-
Saw Palmetto
Serenoa repens
caterpillars
6
food
5
flowers
73
-
Rocky Mountain Zinnia
Zinnia grandiflora
caterpillars
5
food
7
flowers
113
-
Beach Morning-glory
Ipomoea imperati
caterpillars
4
bees
3
hosts
3
food
5
flowers
17
-
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea
caterpillars
4
bees
6
food
2
flowers
77
-
Marginal Wood Fern
Dryopteris marginalis
caterpillars
4
-
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
caterpillars
2
food
1
flowers
3
-
Southern Bush Honeysuckle
Diervilla sessilifolia
caterpillars
2
flowers
5
-
American Olive
Cartrema americanum
caterpillars
1
food
21
flowers
1
-
Pacific Yew
Taxus brevifolia
caterpillars
1
food
3
-
Blunt Woodsia
Woodsia obtusa
-
Golden Polypody
Phlebodium aureum
-
Tropical Resurrection Fern
Pleopeltis polypodioides