A practical guide to identifying invasive ornamentals in your yard, choosing native keystone plant replacements by USDA zone, and making the ecological transition step by step.
Not all native plants are equal for wildlife. Keystone plants — oaks, wild cherries, willows, goldenrods, and asters — support hundreds of times more caterpillar and bird species than ornamental alternatives. Here’s how to choose them for your US garden.
Discover the highest-impact keystone plants for western US gardens across USDA zones 5-9. From Oregon white oak and ceanothus to rabbitbrush and serviceberry, these native species support hundreds of insects, birds, and pollinators in Pacific Coast and Mountain West gardens.
The Southeast is one of the richest regions in North America for native keystone plants — species that support disproportionately large numbers of insects and birds through millions of years of co-evolution. This guide covers the most impactful keystone trees, shrubs, and perennials for USDA zones 7–9, with zone-by-zone recommendations for NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, TN, KY, AR, and LA.
If you plant one thing this year to restore biodiversity in your Midwest garden, make it a keystone plant. Research by University of Delaware entomologist Doug Tallamy found that just 5% of plant species in any region support 75% of all native caterpillar species — and those caterpillars are the foundation of almost every food web. In the Midwest’s Prairie …
Discover the most impactful keystone native plants for Northeast gardens in USDA zones 4-7 — the trees, shrubs, and perennials that support the most wildlife, with planting guides for every state from Maine to Virginia.