Doug Tallamy Research · NWF Keystone Data · U.S. Wildlife Habitat
Top 20 Keystone
Plant Species
for Wildlife
The native plants that do the most ecological heavy lifting — ranked by caterpillar species supported
supported by oaks
ranked here
feed on caterpillars
vs. ornamentals
Not all native plants are created equal. A small number of plant genera — called keystone plants — support a disproportionately large share of the insects, birds, and wildlife in any given ecosystem. Remove them and entire food webs collapse. Plant them, and life returns.
The rankings below are drawn from ecologist Doug Tallamy's landmark research, which counts the number of butterfly and moth (Lepidoptera) caterpillar species each genus supports — because caterpillars are the single most important food source for breeding birds. One clutch of chickadees requires 6,000–9,000 caterpillars before fledging.
These are not exotic rarities. They are the oaks, cherries, willows, goldenrods, and asters that shaped North American ecosystems over millions of years — and still want to grow where you live.
Top 10 Woody Keystone Plants
Trees & large shrubs — the backbone of any wildlife habitat
No other plant genus comes close. Oaks have co-evolved with North American wildlife for millions of years, hosting more caterpillar species than any other tree — making them the single most important planting decision you can make.
- Quercus alba — white oak (East & Midwest)
- Quercus rubra — northern red oak
- Quercus lobata — valley oak (California)
- Quercus virginiana — live oak (Southeast)
Black cherry alone may be the most ecologically important tree in the eastern U.S. outside oaks. A prolific fruit producer in fall, providing food for over 40 species of birds. The early spring blooms fuel pollinators when little else is flowering.
- Prunus serotina — black cherry (keystone)
- Prunus americana — American plum
- Prunus virginiana — chokecherry
Willows leaf out earlier than almost any other woody plant, providing crucial early-season caterpillars for migrating birds arriving in spring. Their catkins are also an essential early nectar and pollen source for native bees.
- Salix nigra — black willow
- Salix discolor — pussy willow
- Various shrub willows by region
Birches support an enormous array of lepidopteran larvae while also producing abundant small seeds eaten by finches, redpolls, and chickadees in winter. River birch is especially adaptable to disturbed urban conditions.
- Betula nigra — river birch
- Betula papyrifera — paper birch
- Betula lenta — sweet/cherry birch
Cottonwoods are the dominant trees of floodplain ecosystems. Quaking aspen forms clonal groves that support some of the richest wildlife communities in North America. Both leaf out rapidly to provide early-season caterpillar food.
- Populus deltoides — eastern cottonwood
- Populus tremuloides — quaking aspen
- Populus fremontii — Fremont cottonwood (West)
Native crabapples are powerhouse wildlife plants at a manageable scale. Their persistent small fruits feed waxwings, robins, and thrushes through winter. Spring bloom is exceptionally valuable for early pollinators. Use straight native species, not sterile horticultural selections.
- Malus coronaria — sweet crabapple
- Malus ioensis — prairie crabapple
- Malus fusca — Pacific crabapple (West)
Beyond caterpillar support, blueberries produce the most nutritious, lipid-rich fruit of any native shrub — critical for fueling fall bird migration. They also require native specialist bees for proper pollination, supporting a distinct pollinator community.
- Vaccinium corymbosum — highbush blueberry
- Vaccinium angustifolium — lowbush blueberry
- Vaccinium stamineum — deerberry
Maples are among the earliest bloomers, providing critical pollen before most other trees open. Their winged seeds (samaras) feed numerous birds in spring and summer. Red maple is particularly adaptable and important across a wide range of conditions.
- Acer rubrum — red maple
- Acer saccharum — sugar maple
- Acer negundo — box elder (fast pioneer)
Hickory nuts are among the most nutritious and calorie-dense mast crops in eastern forests, critical for squirrels, deer, bears, and wood ducks. These slow-growing trees are a multi-generational investment in habitat that pays off for centuries.
- Carya glabra — pignut hickory
- Carya ovata — shagbark hickory
- Carya illinoinensis — pecan (South)
Elms support 213 species; alders and basswoods each support 150+. These three genera round out the top-tier woody keystones. Alders are nitrogen-fixers critical for riparian restoration. Basswood blooms attract more bumblebees per tree than almost anything else.
- Ulmus americana — American elm
- Alnus serrulata — hazel alder (East)
- Tilia americana — American basswood
Top 10 Herbaceous Keystone Plants
Perennial wildflowers, grasses & sedges — for meadows, beds & understories
Goldenrod is unjustly maligned (blamed for hay fever caused by ragweed, which blooms simultaneously). In reality, it is one of the most important fall-blooming plants on the continent — feeding hundreds of specialist bees, monarchs, and dozens of caterpillar species simultaneously.
- Solidago canadensis — Canada goldenrod
- Solidago rugosa — wrinkleleaf goldenrod
- Solidago nemoralis — gray goldenrod
Native asters bloom just as goldenrods are fading, creating a seamless corridor of late-season nutrition. They are the last major nectar source before winter for monarch butterflies fueling up for migration, and host dozens of specialist bees found nowhere else.
- Symphyotrichum novae-angliae — New England aster
- Symphyotrichum laeve — smooth aster
- Eurybia divaricata — white wood aster
Native perennial sunflowers feed goldfinches, chickadees, and siskins through fall. The pollen is essential for specialist sunflower bees (Andrena, Melissodes) that can't survive without it. Far more wildlife-valuable than the annual cultivated sunflower.
- Helianthus maximiliani — Maximilian sunflower
- Helianthus angustifolius — swamp sunflower
- Helianthus divaricatus — woodland sunflower
Joe-Pye weed's towering late-summer blooms are a magnet for swallowtails, fritillaries, and monarchs. These plants bridge the midsummer pollinator gap when many spring plants have finished and fall asters haven't yet opened.
- Eutrochium maculatum — spotted Joe-Pye weed
- Eupatorium perfoliatum — common boneset
- Eupatorium serotinum — late boneset
One of the most recognizable wildflowers in North America. Beloved by specialist bees and butterflies in midsummer, then producing persistent seed heads that feed goldfinches and sparrows through winter. Extremely adaptable and easy to establish.
- Rudbeckia hirta — black-eyed Susan
- Rudbeckia laciniata — cutleaf coneflower
- Rudbeckia fulgida — orange coneflower
The sole larval host plant for monarch butterflies, whose population has declined over 80% partly due to milkweed loss. Also supports specialist milkweed bugs, beetles, and pollinators. Each species has a native range — choose the right one for your region.
- Asclepias tuberosa — butterfly weed
- Asclepias incarnata — swamp milkweed
- Asclepias speciosa — showy milkweed (West)
All fritillary butterflies — great spangled, regal, meadow, Diana — can only lay their eggs on violets. Without violets in the landscape, these spectacular butterflies simply cannot reproduce. An often-overlooked "weed" that anchors an entire butterfly guild.
- Viola sororia — common blue violet
- Viola pubescens — downy yellow violet
- Viola pedata — bird's-foot violet
Wild lupine is the sole larval host for the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly. Many lupine species are critical for specialist solitary bees and bumblebee queens in spring. A nitrogen-fixing plant that improves soil while feeding wildlife.
- Lupinus perennis — wild blue lupine (East)
- Lupinus polyphyllus — large-leaved lupine
- Lupinus argenteus — silvery lupine (West)
Sedges are the unsung heroes of native groundcover. They fill ecological roles that no other plant can fill — providing structure in wet and shaded areas, food for waterfowl and sparrows, and larval habitat for dozens of skipper butterflies that specialize on grasses and sedges.
- Carex pensylvanica — Pennsylvania sedge
- Carex stricta — tussock sedge
- Carex lupulina — hop sedge
The signature grass of the American tallgrass prairie. Its fluffy silver seed heads persist through winter, feeding juncos, sparrows, and finches when little else is available. The dense clumping growth provides nesting cover for ground-nesting birds and overwintering insects.
- Schizachyrium scoparium — little bluestem
- Various regional ecotypes available
The Essential Shortlist
A quick-reference summary of all 20 keystone genera, with caterpillar counts from Tallamy's research. For maximum wildlife impact, start with oaks, cherries, willows, goldenrods, and asters.
Woody Plants — Trees & Shrubs
Herbaceous Plants — Perennials & Grasses
How to Use This List Where You Live
Find your ecoregion
Keystone value varies by region. Use the NWF's Keystone Plants by Ecoregion page to download a PDF ranking the top 30 genera for your specific area.
Look up species by zip code
NWF's Native Plant Finder generates a ranked list of native plants by zip code, showing exactly how many Lepidoptera species each supports near you.
Start with the top tier
If you can only plant a few things: one native oak, one native cherry or willow, a patch of goldenrods, and a patch of native asters will outperform dozens of ornamentals for wildlife value.
Choose true native species
Avoid non-native cultivars (doubles, sterile types, heavily-bred varieties) — they often lack the pollen, nectar, and leaf chemistry that caterpillars and specialist bees need. Ask for straight species at native plant nurseries.