Top native sunflower family members
390 species, native to the US, ranked by caterpillars, then bees and other hosts, food, flowers and shelter.
-
Annual Saltmarsh Aster
Symphyotrichum subulatum
keystone
caterpillars
86
bees
29
hosts
2
food
16
flowers
249
-
Common Sunflower
Helianthus annuus
keystone
caterpillars
80
bees
59
hosts
5
food
99
flowers
374
shelter
3
-
Rayless Annual Aster
Symphyotrichum ciliatum
keystone
caterpillars
76
bees
22
hosts
2
food
18
flowers
232
shelter
1
-
Southern Annual Saltmarsh Aster
Symphyotrichum divaricatum
keystone
caterpillars
56
bees
13
hosts
2
food
12
flowers
198
-
Prairie Sunflower
Helianthus petiolaris
keystone
caterpillars
52
bees
48
hosts
4
food
41
flowers
152
shelter
1
-
Cucumberleaf Sunflower
Helianthus debilis
keystone
caterpillars
39
bees
34
hosts
2
food
41
flowers
134
shelter
1
-
Giant Ragweed
Ambrosia trifida
caterpillars
39
hosts
4
food
42
flowers
68
-
Short-rayed Alkali Aster
Symphyotrichum frondosum
keystone
caterpillars
37
bees
9
food
7
flowers
132
-
Southwestern Annual Saltmarsh Aster
Symphyotrichum expansum
keystone
caterpillars
36
bees
11
hosts
1
food
16
flowers
172
-
Common Ragweed
Ambrosia artemisiifolia
caterpillars
34
hosts
2
food
54
flowers
28
-
Western Ragweed
Ambrosia psilostachya
caterpillars
33
hosts
2
food
36
flowers
9
shelter
1
-
Santa Maria Feverfew
Parthenium hysterophorus
caterpillars
33
food
1
flowers
27
-
Lanceleaf Ragweed
Ambrosia bidentata
caterpillars
29
hosts
1
food
27
flowers
2
-
Silverleaf Sunflower
Helianthus argophyllus
keystone
caterpillars
25
bees
22
hosts
2
food
35
flowers
83
shelter
1
-
Texas Sunflower
Helianthus praecox
keystone
caterpillars
25
bees
20
hosts
2
food
34
flowers
73
shelter
1
-
Bristle Thistle
Cirsium horridulum
caterpillars
25
bees
10
hosts
1
food
14
flowers
164
-
Canada Wild Lettuce
Lactuca canadensis
caterpillars
25
bees
1
hosts
2
food
6
flowers
28
-
Bolander's Sunflower
Helianthus bolanderi
keystone
caterpillars
23
bees
11
hosts
1
food
23
flowers
88
-
Horseweed
Erigeron canadensis
caterpillars
22
bees
20
hosts
5
food
28
flowers
284
-
Tall Blue Lettuce
Lactuca biennis
caterpillars
22
bees
1
hosts
3
food
5
flowers
9
-
Flatspine Bursage
Ambrosia acanthicarpa
caterpillars
21
hosts
2
food
28
flowers
7
-
Showy Sunflower
Helianthus niveus
keystone
caterpillars
19
bees
15
hosts
1
food
23
flowers
52
-
Annual Fleabane
Erigeron annuus
caterpillars
18
bees
8
hosts
4
food
29
flowers
320
-
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
caterpillars
17
bees
27
hosts
1
food
14
flowers
428
-
Bahaman Aster
Symphyotrichum bahamense
keystone
caterpillars
17
bees
5
hosts
1
food
4
flowers
106
-
Woodland Lettuce
Lactuca floridana
caterpillars
17
bees
1
hosts
3
food
4
flowers
37
-
Cowpen Daisy
Verbesina encelioides
caterpillars
16
bees
22
hosts
2
food
16
flowers
135
-
Daisy Fleabane
Erigeron strigosus
caterpillars
15
bees
15
hosts
5
food
15
flowers
226
-
Clasping Coneflower
Rudbeckia amplexicaulis
caterpillars
14
bees
20
food
13
flowers
180
-
Dwarf Conyza
Erigeron divaricatus
caterpillars
13
bees
6
hosts
4
food
11
flowers
188
-
Southeastern Sunflower
Helianthus agrestis
keystone
caterpillars
13
bees
8
hosts
1
food
21
flowers
62
-
Short-styled Thistle
Cirsium brevistylum
caterpillars
12
bees
18
food
10
flowers
99
-
Mojave Thistle
Cirsium mohavense
caterpillars
12
bees
13
food
9
flowers
106
-
Oakleaf Fleabane
Erigeron quercifolius
caterpillars
12
bees
4
hosts
1
food
7
flowers
201
-
Streaked Bur Ragweed
Ambrosia linearis
caterpillars
12
food
22
-
Rough Cocklebur
Xanthium strumarium
caterpillars
12
food
15
flowers
14
-
Spanish Needles
Bidens bipinnata
caterpillars
11
bees
10
hosts
2
food
9
flowers
81
-
Nodding Beggarticks
Bidens cernua
caterpillars
10
bees
9
hosts
2
food
16
flowers
86
shelter
1
-
Desert Pincushion
Chaenactis stevioides
caterpillars
10
bees
6
flowers
40
shelter
2
-
Marsh Cudweed
Gnaphalium uliginosum
caterpillars
10
food
7
flowers
6
-
Devil's Beggarticks
Bidens frondosa
caterpillars
9
bees
10
hosts
2
food
15
flowers
83
-
Western Daisy Fleabane
Erigeron bellidiastrum
caterpillars
9
bees
5
hosts
2
food
4
flowers
135
-
Three-parted Beggarticks
Bidens tripartita
caterpillars
8
bees
9
hosts
2
food
13
flowers
66
-
Smooth Beggarticks
Bidens laevis
caterpillars
8
bees
8
hosts
2
food
7
flowers
126
-
Swamp Beggarticks
Bidens discoidea
caterpillars
8
bees
8
hosts
2
food
6
flowers
66
-
Marsh Tickseed
Bidens trichosperma
caterpillars
8
bees
8
hosts
2
food
6
flowers
64
-
Bearded Beggarticks
Bidens aristosa
caterpillars
8
bees
7
hosts
2
food
7
flowers
141
-
California Ragwort
Senecio californicus
caterpillars
8
bees
9
food
6
flowers
33
-
Western Marsh Cudweed
Gnaphalium palustre
caterpillars
8
flowers
4
-
Curlycup Gumweed
Grindelia squarrosa
caterpillars
7
bees
34
hosts
2
food
13
flowers
161