Keystone Plants of the Southeast

The Southeast's longleaf pine savannas, Appalachian coves, and Coastal Plain wetlands harbor more plant species than almost anywhere else in North America. Native oaks, cherries, and willows provide the same keystone function here as in the North — but a richer understory layer adds milkweed, pawpaw, and spicebush to the food web.

States: NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, TN, KY