Keystone Native Plants Marine West Coast Forest - Ecoregion 7 Native plants have tight relationships with wildlife, formed over many thousands of years, providing natural sources Keystone plants are native plants critical to the food web and of food, cover and places to raise young. Without healthy necessary for many wildlife species to complete their life cycle. Without keystone plants in the landscape, butterflies, native native plant communities, wildlife cannot survive. Every bees, and birds will not thrive. 96% of our terrestrial birds ecoregion has different native plant communities. rely on insects supported by keystone plants.

There are two types of keystone plants: Host plants that feed the young caterpillars of approximately 90% of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera). Plants that feed specialist bees who only eat pollen from specific plants. Keystone plants for native bees feed both specialist and generalist bees.

Entomologist Dr. Doug Tallamy, and his University of Delaware research team have identified the keystone plants that support butterfly and moth species. Native host plants of pollen specialist bees were researched by pollinator conservationist Jarrod Fowler.

Top Keystone Plant Genera in Marine West Coast Forest - Ecoregion 7 A genus is a taxonomic category of plants that contains one or more species of plants with similar characteristics. Species within each genus have adapted to local conditions and are the appropriate native species or varieties suited to a specific ecoregion.

Plant Type Plant Genus Sample of Common Species # Caterpillar # of Pollen Specialist (not all encompassing) Species that Use Bee species that this as a Host Plant Rely on this Plant

Trees Quercus Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) 436

Prunus Oregon cherry (Prunus emarginata), Chokecherry 340 (Prunus virginiana)

Betula Water birch (Betula occidentalis), Resin birch 284 (Betula glandulosa)

Populus American aspen (Populus tremuloides), Balsam poplar 249 (Populus balsamifera)

Acer Rocky Mountain maple (Acer glabrum), Bigleaf maple 238 (Acer macrophyllum), Box elder (Acer negundo)

Malus Oregon crabapple (Malus fusca) 237

Pinus lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), Ponderosa pine 200 (Pinus ponderosa)

Alnus Grey alder (Alnus incana), Sitka alder (Alnus sinuata) 173

Shrubs Salix Shining willow (Salix lasiandra), Scouler’s Willow 289 14 (Salix scouleriana), Sitka willow (Salix sitchensis)

Vaccinium Dwarf bilberry (Vaccinium caespitosum), 217 14 Alpine blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum)

Flowering Helianthus Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), 41 50 Perennials Prairie sunflower (Helianthus petiolaris)

Solidago West coast Canada goldenrod (Solidago elongata), 49 42 Western goldenrod (Solidago lepida)

Symphyotrichum Eaton’s aster (Symphyotrichum eatonii), Western 3 33 mountain aster (Symphyotrichum spathulatum) Grindelia Idaho gumplant (Grindelia nana), Curlycup gumweed 9 31 (Grindelia squarrosa)

Rudbeckia Western coneflower (Rudbeckia occidentalis) 4 29

Heterotheca Hairy false goldenaster (Heterotheca villosa) 7 24

Coreopsis Plains coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria) 22

Bidens Nodding bur-marigold (Bidens cernua), 15 devils’s beggartick Bidens frondosa (Bidens frondosa)

Cirsium Clustered thistle (Cirsium brevistylum) 15

Erigeron Glacial daisy (Erigeron glacialis), Daisy fleabane 12 (Erigeron philadelphicus)

Top 30 Keystone Plant Genera Top 30 Native Host Plants for for Butterfly and Moth Caterpillar Pollen Specialist Bees

Genus Common Plant # of Caterpillar Genus Common Plant # of Pollen Specialist Name Species that use this Name Bee Species Relying as a Host Plant on this Plant Salix willow 326 Ericameria goldenbush 20 Prunus almond, apricot, 257 Grindelia gumweed 20 cherry, peach, plum Cirsium thistle 17 Populus aspen, cottonwood, 233 poplar Solidago goldenrod 16 Quercus oak 225 Salix willow 15 14 Alnus alder 213 Erigeron fleabane Helianthus sunflower 14 Pinus pine 209 Heterotheca goldenaster 14 Betula birch 204 Astragalus milkvetch 13 Malus apple 164 Chrysothamnus rabbitbrush 13 Vaccinium blueberry, cranberry, 129 Senecio ragwort 13 deerberry Gutierrezia snakeweed 12 Picea spruce 126 Lotus bird’s foot trefoil, Acer maple 125 12 deervetch Abies fir 122 Cryptantha cryptantha 11 Pseudotsuga douglas fir 122 Encelia brittlebush 11 Tsuga hemlock 116 Phacelia phacelia 11 Rubus blackberry, 101 Chaenactis pincushion 9 raspberry Trifolium clover 9 Ceanothus ceanothus 100 8 Rosa rose 99 Lupinus lupin 8 Larix larch 87 Machaeranthera tansyaster Symphyotrichum aster 8 Crataegus hawthorn 85 Coreopsis tickseed 7 Amelanchier serviceberry 83 Hemizonia tarweed 7 Corylus hazel 75 Baileya desert marigold 6 Fragaria strawberry 70 Stephanomeria wirelettuce 6 Lupinus lupin 64 Achillea yarrow 5 Vitis grape 62 Arctostaphylos bearberry, Cornus dogwood 60 5 manzanita Arctostaphylos bearberry, 60 Camissonia suncup 5 manzanita Lasthenia goldfields 5 Fraxinus ash 57 Ranunculus 5 Spiraea meadowsweet, 56 steeplebush Solidago goldenrod 54

Artemisia sagebrush 53