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Top10OAKFamily: FagaceaeGenus: QuercusThe mighty oak supports 534 species of butterflies/moths, and its acorns feed deer,turkeys, bear, squirrels, even wood ducks.There are 80 oak species in North America.

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This hornworm is the larva of the hummingbird sphinxmoth. The “horn” near its tail is harmless. The adult moth lookslike a hummingbird and feeds on flowers with lots of nectar.

From doug tallamy’s Bringing Nature Home: How Native PlantsSustain Wildlife in Our Gardens (timber Press, 2007)

WILLOWFamily: SalicaceaeGenus: Salix

With 97 willow species in northamerica, there are lots to choosefrom. they support some of theshowiest butterflies, e.g., viceroys.

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CHERRY, PLUMFamily: RosaceaeGenus: Prunus

native plums and wild cherries, including black cherry, choke-cherry, and pin cherry, are excel-lent sources of food for wildlife.

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BLUEBERRY,CRANBERRYFamily: EricaceaeGenus: Vaccinium

Underused in ornamental plant-ings, they host butterflies/mothsand nourish birds and mammals.

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MAPLEFamily: AceraceaeGenus: Acer

since the demise of the americanchestnut, maples have expandedtheir role in the forest. they sup-port 285 lepidoptera species.

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POPLARFamily: SalicaceaeGenus: Populus

lepidoptera love these fast-growingtrees. they harbor 7 giant silk moth,7 sphinx moth, 77 noctuid (noctur-nal moth) and 10 butterfly species.

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CRABAPPLEFamily: RosaceaeGenus: Malus

there are only four native speciesof crabapples in the U.s. the fruitsare favorites of birds, deer andother wildlife.

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ELMFamily: UlmaceaeGenus: Ulmus

intense breeding programs haveproduced disease-resistant ameri-can elms. a few caterpillars eatnothing else and look like its leaves.

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PINEFamily: PinaceaeGenus: Pinus

despite their resins and terpenes,pine needles are a favorite foodof 203 species of butterflies/moths in eastern forests.

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BIRCHFamily: BetulaceaeGenus: Betula

birches support hundreds ofbutterfly/moth species, plusthey produce seeds and flowerbuds that feed a variety of birds,from songbirds to turkeys.

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