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.

Displaying 1 - 25 of 249

Plant Form
Light Requirements
Moisture Requirements
Soil Texture:
Bloom Time
Scientific Name Common Name(s) Supports Pollinators Number of Lepidotera Species Genus Supports Number of Pollen Specialist Bees that Rely on this Genus
Quercus alba White oak Bees, Butterfiles 436
Quercus coccinea Scarlet oak Bees, Butterfiles 436
Quercus palustris Pin oak Bees, Butterfiles 436
Quercus bicolor Swamp white oak Bees, Butterfiles 436
Quercus falcata Southern red oak, Spanish oak, Swamp red oak, Swamp spanish oak, Water oak Bees, Butterfiles 436
Quercus phellos Willow oak Bees, Butterfiles 436
Quercus rubra Northern red oak Bees, Butterfiles 436
Prunus americana American wild plum Bees, Butterfiles, Monarchs 340
Prunus angustifolia Chickasaw plum Bees, Butterfiles 340
Salix nigra Black willow Bees, Butterfiles 289 14
Salix sericea Silky willow Bees, Butterfiles 289 14
Betula nigra River birch, Red birch Bees, Butterfiles 284
Acer rubrum Red maple Bees, Butterfiles 238
Acer saccharinum Silver maple Bees, Butterfiles 238
Acer saccharum Sugar maple Bees, Butterfiles 238
Acer pensylvanicum Striped maple, Goosefoot maple, Moosewood, Snakebark maple, Whistlewood Bees, Butterfiles 238
Malus angustifolia Narrowleaf crabapple, Southern crabapple, Wild crab apple, Wild crabapple Bees, Butterfiles 237
Malus coronaria Southern crabapple Bees, Butterfiles 237
Vaccinium corymbosum Highbush blueberry, Northern highbush blueberry Bees, Butterfiles 217 14
Tilia americana American basswood, Basswood Bees, Butterfiles 132
Rubus flagellaris Common dewberry Bees, Butterfiles 127
Rubus occidentalis Black raspberry Bees, Butterfiles 127
Rubus allegheniensis Allegheny blackberry Bees, Butterfiles 127
Solidago nemoralis var. nemoralis Gray goldenrod Bees, Butterfiles 104 42
Solidago caesia var. caesia Bluestem goldenrod, Blue-stemmed goldenrod, Wreath goldenrod, Axillary goldenrod Bees, Butterfiles, Monarchs 104 42

*References:

Keystone Native Plants: Eastern Temperate Forests – Ecoregion 8

Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia: Keystone Species of Native Plants