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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardamine parviflora var. arenicola | Sand bittercress, Small-flowered bittercress | Bees | ||
| Crataegus phaenopyrum | Washington hawthorn | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Penstemon canescens | Eastern gray beard-tongue, Gray beard-tongue | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Eutrochium fistulosum | Hollow joe-pye-weed, Joe pye thoroughwort, Joe-pye weed | Bees, Butterfiles, Monarchs | ||
| Eutrochium maculatum | Spotted joe-pye-weed | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Quercus falcata | Southern red oak, Spanish oak, Swamp red oak, Swamp spanish oak, Water oak | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Veronicastrum virginicum | Culver's-root | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Ilex opaca var. opaca | American holly | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Silene caroliniana var. pensylvanica | Wild pink, Northern wild pink | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Caulophyllum thalictroides | Blue cohosh, Common blue cohosh | Bees | ||
| Arnoglossum atriplicifolium | Pale indian-plantain | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Maianthemum racemosum | False solomon's plume, False solomon's seal, Eastern solomons-plume | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Trichostema dichotomum | Common blue curls, Forked blue curls | Bees | ||
| Cunila origanoides | Common dittany, Wild oregano, Stonemint | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Penstemon digitalis | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | |||
| Hamamelis virginiana var. virginiana | Witch hazel, Witchhazel | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Gaylussacia baccata | Black huckleberry | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Rhododendron maximum | Great rhododendron, White rosebay, Great laurel | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Impatiens capensis | Spotted jewelweed, Orange jewelweed | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Solidago altissima var. altissima | Tall goldenrod | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Chamaecrista fasciculata var. fasciculata | Partridge pea, Prairie senna, Common partridge-pea | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Aronia arbutifolia | Red chokeberry | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Malus angustifolia | Narrowleaf crabapple, Southern crabapple, Wild crab apple, Wild crabapple | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Trillium sessile | Sessile trillium, Toadshade, Toad trillium | Bees | ||
| Dicentra cucullaria | Dutchman's breeches | Bees, Butterfiles |