When a Rose isn’t Just Another Rose

It’s clear to me that some plants attract more insects than others. Blazing star (Liatris) and mountain mint (Pycnanthemum) are clamoring with pollinators when they are in bloom. So are Joe Pye (Eutrochium), iron plant (Vernonia), sunflower (Helianthus), and black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia). Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), linden (Tilia), Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), and willow (Salix) are audible when in bloom, because they’re covered with clouds of buzzing bees. Milkweed (Asclepias) and spikenard (Aralia racemosa) are not only covered in pollinators, but also sugar-gathering ants and predators like jumping and crab spiders, who linger for a chance to ambush a pollinator for lunch. These native plants provide nectar and pollen “superfood” for insects.

You can see for yourself how insects will flock to your home landscaping by adding native plants and spending time looking at them. But be sure to include topperforming superfoods for insects in your home garden—not just pollen and nectar for adult insects, but also “foliage food” for insect larvae. Here’s what scientists say are the best performers.

In recent decades, Doug Tallamy and Kimberly Shropshire, entomologists at the University of Delaware, have been recording butterfly and moth interactions with native plants. It turns out that some native plants are far better at feeding caterpillars than others. Tallamy calls them keystone plants. Wherever they looked, about 5% of native plant genera were responsible for feeding about 70% of butterflies and moths. For instance, yellowwood (Cladrastis kentuckea) has no record of caterpillars feeding on it, while oak (Quercus) has 429 species on record for our region. Cherry and plum (Prunus) have 318, willow (Salix) 257, birch (Betula nigra) 251, maple (Acer) 235, pine (Pinus echinata) 154, and rose (Rosa) has 98. For perennials, goldenrod (Solidago) tops the list with 97, sunflower (Helianthus) 73, wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) 59, leadplant (Amorpha) 32, Joe Pye (Eutrochium) 30, and geranium (Geranium maculatum) 23. The full list of keystone plants is available online at Native Plant Finder (National Wildlife Federation) and Plants for Birds (Audubon Society).

Unfortunately, not all keystone species work well in the average home landscape. Black willow (Salix nigra) for instance, is an aggressive spreading plant, but luckily, prairie willow (Salix humilus) is not. It’s the most compact native willow, averaging 5 feet tall, and available in nurseries. I’ve found cliff (Solidago drummondii) and showy (Solidago speciosa) goldenrods to be the least aggressive goldenrod species. Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) spreads with runners, but it is a useful filler plant that meanders between larger

SCOTT WOODBURY Horticulturist

perennials and grasses and reduces the need for mulch.

Maples (Acer) are frustrating to garden under because they have shallow, dense roots that compete aggressively with anything growing beneath them. Easier trees to garden under are black cherry (Prunus serotina), and shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata). They’re also narrow and upright, and fit into small garden spaces.

Gardening with keystone plants is a game changer for wildlife. This practice significantly increases the capacity of your garden to attract more butterflies, bees, moths, and birds, and is fun for the whole family. I guarantee that you will see a difference in your yard by including more superfood native plant species. Happy gardening y’all!

Scott Woodbury was the horticulturist at Shaw Nature Reserve for 30 years and stepped down from that position in June 2022. He continues to work on contract for Shaw Nature Reserve to carry out native landscaping education and has launched his own business called Cacalia: Native Garden Design and Wilding. Find suppliers of native plants, seeds, and services at the Grow Native! Resource Guide: www.moprairie.org.