The research of entomologist, Dr. Doug Tallamy, and his team at the University of Delaware have identified 14% of native plants (the keystones) support 90% of butterfly and moth lepidoptera species. The research of horticulturist Jarrod Fowler has shown that 15% to 60% of North American native bee species are pollen specialists who only eat pollen from 40% of native plants.
The above information is from The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) website. Read the entire article here.
Kalamazoo is in the Eastern Temperate Forests EcoRegion. Here are the best of the Keystone plants for our region:
- Trees: The White Oak and the Black Oak support 436 Caterpillar Species and is the most important host tree for our region.
- Shrubs: The Northern highbrush Blueberry, Black highbrush blueberry and the Hillside blueberry support 217 caterpillar species and 14 Pollen Specialist Bee species.
- Flowering Perennials: The Stiff leaf goldenrod and the Atlantic Goldenrod support 104 caterpillar species and 42 Pollen Specialist Bee species. While the woodland sunflower supports the most Pollen Specialist Bee species at 50.
Click here for the NWF table showing the full list of Keystone Native Plants for our EcoRegion.