Keystone Species
What is a keystone native plant?
The term “keystone” plant, popularized by noted entomologist Douglas W. Tallamy, refers to the critical piece of a stone arch that holds it together. Without it, the arch collapses.
Keystone plants are native plant species that play an outsized role in supporting the local food web. Although all native plants can contribute to biodiversity, a comparatively small number host especially large numbers of native insects—particularly moth and butterfly caterpillars. Those insects turn plant leaves into food for spiders, amphibians, reptiles, and birds, including many songbirds that rely on caterpillars to feed their young. In this way, keystone plants help move energy from the sun and vegetation into the broader community of wildlife.
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| Scientific Name | Common Name(s) | Supports Pollinators | Number of Lepidotera Species Genus Supports Sort ascending | Number of Pollen Specialist Bees that Rely on this Genus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caltha palustris var. palustris | Cowslip, Marsh marigold | Bees, Hummingbirds | ||
| Nyssa sylvatica | Black gum, Sour gum, Sourgum | Bees | ||
| Viola striata | Cream violet, Striped violet | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Cercis canadensis var. canadensis | Eastern redbud | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Agrostis hyemalis | Winter bentgrass, Ticklegrass | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Eupatorium hyssopifolium | Hyssop-leaf thoroughwort | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Physostegia virginiana | Obedient plant | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Cephalanthus occidentalis | Buttonbush | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds, Monarchs | ||
| Heuchera americana | Alumroot, American alumroot, Coral bells, Rock geranium | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Rubus occidentalis | Black raspberry | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Erigeron philadelphicus var. philadelphicus | Philadelphia fleabane | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | 12 | |
| Achillea borealis | Common yarrow | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Liatris squarrosa var. squarrosa | Scaly blazing star | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Symphyotrichum pilosum | Frost aster, Awl-aster | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Alisma subcordatum | Southern water-plantain, American water plantain | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Campanulastrum americanum | Tall bellflower | Bees, Hummingbirds | ||
| Oenothera fruticosa | Narrow-leaf sundrops, Southern sundrops | Bees | ||
| Vitis riparia | Riverbank grape | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Zizia aptera | Heart-leaf golden-alexanders, Meadow parsnip | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Anatherum glomeratum | Bushy bluestem, Bushy beardgrass | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Eupatorium rotundifolium | Roundleaf boneset, Roundleaf thoroughwort | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Pluchea camphorata | Camphorweed, Camphor pluchea | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Senna marilandica | Maryland wild senna, Southern wild senna | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Hibiscus laevis | Halberd-leaf rose-mallow, Smooth rose-mallow, Halberdleaf hibiscus, Halberdleaf rosemallow, Scarlet rose mallow, Scarlet rosemallow | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Rudbeckia triloba var. triloba | Three-lobed coneflower, Brown-eyed susan | Bees, Butterfiles |