Keystone Plants for Your Yard
Keystone Plants for Your Yard
High-Impact Natives You Can Find at Local Nurseries (BETA)
Not all natives are equal. Keystone plants feed the most caterpillars, which feed the most birds — find the ones most likely to be available at nurseries near you.
How to use the Keystone Plant Tool with Krista De Cooke
Silvery Lupine
Lupinus argenteus
Lacy Phacelia or Fiddleneck
Phacelia tanacetifolia
Common Evening Primrose
Oenothera biennis
Tahoka Daisy
Machaeranthera tanacetifolia
Hairy False Goldenaster
Heterotheca villosa
Nuttall’s Sunflower
Helianthus nuttallii
Ashy Sunflower
Helianthus mollis
Woodland Sunflower
Helianthus strumosus
Common Sunflower
Helianthus annuus
Swamp Sunflower
Helianthus angustifolius
Bigelow’s Sneezeweed
Helenium bigelovii
Autumnale Sneezeweed
Helenium autumnale
Great Valley Gumplant
Grindelia camporum
Blanketflower or Firewheel
Gaillardia pulchella
Grass-Leaved Goldenrod
Euthamia graminifolia
Cutleaf Daisy
Erigeron compositus
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea
Prairie Coreopsis
Coreopsis palmata
Our keystone tool uses ecoregions rather than state-by-state native plant lists. Most plants shown are native to a large portion of the ecoregion — and all are highly beneficial to local insects, birds, and wildlife. Learn more about ecoregions here.