Suggested Native Plants for Bats Nectar Plants for attracting moths:These plants are just suggestions based onfloral traits (flower color, shape, or fragrance) for attracting moths and have not been empirically tested. All information comes from The Lady Bird Johnson's Wildflower Center's plant database. Plant names with * denote species that may be especially high value for bats (based on my opinion). Availability denotes how common a species can be found within nurseries and includes 'common' (found in most nurseries, such as Rainbow Gardens), 'specialized' (only available through nurseries such as Medina Nursery, Natives of Texas, SA Botanical Gardens, or The Nectar Bar), and 'rare' (rarely for sale but can be collected from wild seeds or cuttings). All are native to TX, most are native to Bexar. Common Name Scientific Name Family Light Leaves Water Availability Notes Trees: Sabal palm * Sabal mexicana Arecaceae Sun Evergreen Moderate Common Dead fronds for yellow bats Yaupon holly Ilex vomitoria Aquifoliaceae Any Evergreen Any Common Possumhaw is equally great Desert false willow Chilopsis linearis Bignoniaceae Sun Deciduous Low Common Avoid over-watering Mexican olive Cordia boissieri Boraginaceae Sun/Part Evergreen Low Common Protect from deer Anacua, sandpaper tree * Ehretia anacua Boraginaceae Sun Evergreen Low Common Tough evergreen tree Rusty blackhaw * Viburnum rufidulum Caprifoliaceae Partial Deciduous Low Specialized Protect from deer Anacacho orchid Bauhinia lunarioides Fabaceae Partial Evergreen Low Common South Texas species Eastern redbud * Cercis canadensis Fabaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Common Early nectar source Eve's Necklace Styphnolobium affine Fabaceae Partial Deciduous Low Specialized Seed pods are toxic Mexican plum * Prunus mexicana Rosaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Common Protect from deer Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia Rosaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Specialized Prefers sandy soil Wafer ash Ptelea trifoliata Rutaceae Any Deciduous Any Common Repels deer Cottonwood, Alamo Populus deltoides Salicaceae Sun Deciduous Low Common Great host plant, tall Western soapberry Sapindus drummondii Sapindaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Specialized Hardy tree, poisonous Gum bumelia Sideroxylon lanuginosum Sapotaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Specialized Protect from deer Linden, basswood Tilia americana Tiliaceae Any Deciduous Moderate Specialized Very tall tree Common and easy to Sugar hackberry Celtis laevigatus Ulmaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Rare propogate by seed. Important for birds. Common Name Scientific Name Family Light Leaves Water Availability Notes Shrubs: Aromatic sumac Rhus trilobata Anacardiaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Common Flameleaf sumac Rhus lanceolata Anacardiaceae Sun Deciduous Low Common Great fall color Roosevelt bush Baccharis neglecta Asteraceae Sun Semi-Evergr. Low Rare Common roadside plant White honeysuckle * Lonicera albiflora Caprifoliaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Common Avoid Japanese honeysuckle Elderberry Sumbucus canadensis Caprifoliaceae Partial Deciduous High Specialized Requires lots of water Rough leaf dogwood * Cornus drummondii Cornaceae Shade/Part Deciduous Moderate Common Thicket forming, beautiful Texas persimmon * Diospyros texana Ebenaceae Any Evergreen Low Specialized Deer resistant and reliable Texas ebony Ebenopsis ebano Fabaceae Sun Evergreen Low Specialized Sandy soils, sharp thorns Texas kidneywood * Eysenhardtia texana Fabaceae Sun Deciduous Low Specialized Protect from deer Roemer's catclaw Senegalia roemeriana Fabaceae Sun Deciduous Low Specialized Sharp thorns Spicebush Lindera benzoin Lauraceae Any Deciduous Moderate Specialized Used for all spice Prairie redroot Ceanothus herbaceus Rhamnaceae Sun Deciduous Low Rare Creek plum (poisonous) * Prunus rivularis Rosaceae Partial Deciduous Moderate Specialized Thicket forming Buttonbush * Cephalanthus occidentalis Rubiaceae Shade/Part Deciduous High Common Excellent nectar plant Cenizo, purple sage * Leucophyllum frutescens Scrophulariaceae Sun Evergreen Low Common Very hardy Spiny hackberry Celtis ehrenbergiana Ulmaceae Sun/Part Semi-Evergr. Low Specialized Thorny Whitebrush Alyosia gratissima Verbenaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Specialized Thicket forming American beautyberry Callicarpa americana Verbenaceae Partial Deciduous Moderate Common Fruit is loved by birds Velvet lantana Lantana velutina Verbenaceae Sun Low Rare Beautiful South TX lantana Vines: Crossvine * Bignonia capreolata Bignonaceae Sun Semi-Evergr. Low Common Coral honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens Caprifoliaceae Sun Evergreen Moderate Common Requires deep soil Berlandier's Trumpets Acleisanthes obtusa Nyctaginaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Specialized Bracted passionflower Passiflora affinis Passifloraceae Sun Deciduous Low Rare Virginia creeper * Vitaceae Any Deciduous Moderate Common Mildy poisonous Parthenocissus quinquefolia Common Name Scientific Name Family Light Leaves Water Availability Notes Herbaceous: Buckley's yucca * Yucca constricta Agavaceae Sun Evergreen Low Specialized Any native yucca is great Antelope-horns milkweed Asclepias asperula Apocynaceae Sun Deciduous Low Specialized Zizotes milkweed Asclepias oenotheroides Apocynaceae Sun Deciduous low Specialized White sagebrush * Artemisia ludoviciana Asteraceae Sun Semi-Evergr. Low Specialized Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea Asteraceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Common Plains fleabane Erigeron modestus Asteraceae Sun Deciduous Low Rare Blackfoot daisy * Melampodium leucanthum Asteraceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Common Very hardy Tall goldenrod * Solidago altissima Asteraceae Sun Evergreen Low Specialized Frostweed * Verbesina virginica Asteraceae Sun Evergreen Low Specialized Important nectar plant White shrub mistflower * Ageratina havanensis Boraginaceae Sun/Part Evergreen Moderate Common Tievine Ipomoea cordatotriloba Convolvulaceae Sun Deciduous Low Rare Aggressive ground vine Texas spiderlily Hymenocallis liriosme Lamiaceae Any Evergreen Moderate Beebalm Monarda fistulosa Lamiaceae Sun Semi-Evergr. Low Common Fall obedient plant Physostegia virginiana Lamiaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Moderate Common Mealy blue sage * Salvia farinacea Lamiaceae Sun/Part Deciduous High Common Will readily spread Autumn sage Salvia greggii Lamiaceae Sun Deciduous Low Common Lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata Lamiaceae Sun NA Low Common Pink evening primrose * Oenothera speciosa Liliaceae Sun/Part Deciduous High Common Heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea Nyctaginaceae Sun Deciduous Low Rare Pink guara Oenothera lindheimeri Onagraceae Sun Evergreen Moderate Specialized Pigeonberry Rivina humilis Onagraceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Common Groundcover Foxglove penstemon Penstemon cobaea Phytolaccaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Moderate Common Summer snow plumbago Plumbago scandens Plantaginaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Rare Prairie phlox Phlox pilosa Plumbaginaceae Partial Deciduous Moderate Rare Southern dewberry * Rubus trivialis Rosaceae Sun/Part Evergreen Moderate Edible fruit. Great host plant Chile pequin Capsicum annuum Solanaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Common Sacred datura Datura wrightii Solanaceae Sun/Part Deciduous Low Specialized Large flowers; highly toxic Frogfruit * Phyla nodiflora Verbenaceae Sun/Part Semi-Evergr. Moderate Common Groundcover Missouri violet Viola missouriensis Violaceae Partial Evergreen Moderate Common Top Host Plants: For all Lepidopterans (moths and butterflies) across the United States. Data from National Wildlife Federation's Native Plant Finder. https://www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/ Woody Plants: Herbaceous Plants:.