“Keystone plants are native plants critical to the food web and necessary for many wildlife species to complete their life cycle. Without keystone plants in the landscape, butterflies, native bees and birds will not thrive. 95% of our terrestrial birds rely on insects supported by keystone plants.”
National Wildlife Federation
In the native plant community 5% of native plants support 75% of our native insects and birds. They include our native oaks, cherries and willows. Among perennial species, goldenrod, aster and perennial sunflowers are keystone species.
Below is a PDF list of the keystone species for our area (Eastern Temperate Forests – Ecoregion 8). It lists the number of butterfly and moth species that each plant supports, as well as the number of specialist bees that depend on the pollen of that plant. To promote greater biodiversity in your yard, aim to have as many of these keystone species in your garden as space will allow. If you are removing plants because they are on the invasive species list, or for any other reason, replace those plants with a keystone species in order to support a greater number of pollinators and birds.
by Elizabeth Spedaliere
