| American Elm |
Ulmus americana |
American elms are great host plants for many butterflies. |
Eastern United States |
 |
| American Holly |
Ilex opaca 'Greenleaf' |
Provides a great source of cover and nesting sites for many animals including squirells, recoons, white-tail deer, turkeys chipmunks, foxes, and more. Berries are a great source of food in the winter when many other food sources are gone. American hollies provide a great source of nectar for honeybees. |
Eastern and South Central United States |
 |
| Bald Cypress |
Taxodium distichum |
Bald Cypress are great for soaking up floodwater and preventing erosion. Along riversides and creeks, the hollow trunks are used by wood ducks to nest. Other birds, like the bald eagle, also enjoy nesting higher up in these trees. |
Southeastern United States |
 |
| Blackgum |
Nyssa sylvatica |
Blackgum fruit are eaten by squirrels, small rodents, gray foxes, raccoons, possums, white-tailed deer, and coyotes. Many birds also enjoy eating the gruits such as wild turkeys, wood ducks, over 30 speies of songbirds, and the bobwhite quail.The flowers attract many insect pollinators. |
Southern and Eastern United States |
 |
| Dahoon Holly |
Ilex cassine |
Fruits attract birds, squirells, and other small mammels. The Dahoon Holly is also a great nesting site for birds. |
Coastal and Southeastern United States |
|
| Dogwood |
Cornus florida |
Dogwood fruit are an important source of food for many animals such as mice, black bears, squirells, skunks, Many birds including robins, cardinals, thrashers, cedar, waxwings, bluebirds, and tufted titmouse utilize the fruits as a food source. Rabbits enjoy browsing on the shoots and leaves. Bees, butterflies, and flies are attracted to the nectar. |
Eastern and Southern United States |
 |
| East Palatka Holly |
Ilex attenuata 'East Palatka' |
Many bird species eat the berries of the East Palatka Holly and use this tree for cover/nesting. Bees and other insects are attracted to the nectar. |
Southeastern United States |
 |
| Fringe Tree or Grancy Greybeard |
Chionanthus virginicus |
Produces drupes that are a great source of food for birds that scatter the seeds. |
Southeastern United States |
 |
| Honey Locust |
Gleditsia triacanthos |
Honey Locust trees are the host plant for a variety of butterfly caterpillars and moths. The nectar from the flowers are a good source of food for bees and other insects. Many animals such as the white tail deer, squirells, bobwhite quail, crows, possums, rabbits, starlings, and raccoons will eat the bean pods produced by this tree. |
Central United States |
 |
| Loblolly Pine |
Pinus taeda |
These trees provide a habitat for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, gray squirells, rabbits, quail, doves, and more. Many songbirds enjoy feeding on the seed. Red crossbills depend on this seed for 50% of their diet. Fox squirells and red cockaded woodpeckers, endangered species, eat the cones and nest in loblolly pines. |
Southeastern United States |
 |
| Magnolia - Sweet Bay |
Magnolia virginiana |
Sweet Bay Magnolias attract songbirds providing seed and shelter for migrating birds. Wild turkeys, possums, squirells, and white-tailed deer feed on parts on the magnolia inlcuding the leaves, twigs, and buds. Beetles are highly attracted to magnolia blooms which in turn pollinate the tree. |
Southeastern United States |
 |
| Nuttall Oak |
Quercus nuttallii |
Provides protection and nesting sites for many bird species. The nuts produced by the nuttall oak are eaten by deer and turkey for sustenance throughout the winter. |
Southeast and Midwestern United States |
 |
| Paw Paw |
Asimina triloba |
Possums, raccons, squirrels, foxes, and birds enjoy the fruit of this tree. Deer tend to avoid browsing on the leaves. |
Eastern United States |
 |
| Pecan Tree |
Carya illinoinensis |
The fruit of pecan trees are eaten foraged by squirrels, turkey, and white-tailed deer. These trees provide shade and nesting sites for many species of birds. |
Southern United States |
 |
| Persimmon |
Diospyros virginiana |
A host tree for the pale green Luna Moth. Many mammels enjoy the fruits such as possums, squirrels, foxes, raccons, black bears, skunks, and white-tailed deer. Many bird species such as the pileated woodpecker, mockingbirds, robins, yellow rumped warblers, and wild turkeys enjoy foraging for the fruit. |
Southeastern United States |
 |
| Possumhaw Holly |
Ilex decidua |
Songbirds and other mammels will feed on the fruits in the winter months. This holly is a host plant for Henry's Elfin butterfly. The nectar is also collected by the specialized bee Colletes banksi. |
Southeastern United States |
 |
| Redbud |
Cercis canadensis |
This tree is a host tree to Henry's Elfin butterfly. Early blooming spring tree that attracts honeybees and bumblebees. Hummingbirds and butterflies also enjoy the nectar from this tree. Northern bobwhite quail and many songbird species feed on the seeds from the pods. |
Eastern United States |
 |
| Southern Red Oak |
Quercus falcata |
The large roots this tree produces is great for restoration in watershed areas. The acorns are foraged by gray squirrels, white-tailed deer, chipmunks, rabbits, possums, raccoons, wild turkeys, crows, bluejay, wood ducks, and many other species of mammels and birds. Acorns are one of the most valuable resources available for wildlife. |
Eastern and South-Central United States |
 |
| River Birch |
Betula nigra |
River Birch have many ecological benefits including erosion control, provide sustenance to wildlife, and they create a habitat for nesting birds. Birds and rodents enjoy the seeds while deer browse on the twigs and foliage. The ruby-throated hummingbird enjoys the sap. |
Eastern United States |
 |
| Serviceberry |
Amelanchier x grandiflora |
Many birds including chickadees, juncos, bluebirds, tanagers, gold finches and others enjoy feeding on the fruit. Foxes, skunks, chipmunks, white-tailed deer, and other mammels feed on the berries, twigs, and leaves. The tree is a host for swallowtail butterfly larvae and and Spring Azure butterfly also enjoys the nectar. |
Southeastern United States |
 |
| Shumard Oak |
Quercus shumardii |
Acorns provide food for many mammels including white-tailed deer, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, raccons, and more. The tree provides a nesting area and den site for many bird species, squirrels and foxes. |
Eastern United States |
 |
| Southern Magnolia |
Magnolia grandiflora |
Magnolias are very beneficial to beetle populations. They have a symbiotic relationship where the magnolia provides food and the beetles pollinate the flowers. Squirrels, possums, quail, and wild turkeys also enjoy feeding on the magnolia tree. Magnolias also attract songbirds and provide year-round protection for migrating flyers. |
Southeastern United States |
 |
| Sourwood |
Oxydendrum arboreum |
The sourwood tree is endemic the North America. Deer enjoy browsing on the leaves and gourmet honey is produced by bees foraging the nectar. |
Eastern United States |
 |
| Red Maple |
Acer rubrum |
The red maples early produced pollen is considered to be important to the biology of bees and other pollen dependent insects. The seeds are collected and stored by chipmunks and squirrels. White-tail deer and rabbits especially enjoy the "suckers" that grow from the crown of the tree. Along waterways, cavities are used as nesting areas for wood ducks and other cavity nesters. |
Central and Eastern United States |
 |
| Sycamore |
Platanus occidentalis |
Sycamore seeds are a source of food for squirrels, beavers, chickadees, muskrats, crossbills, finches, juncos, cedar waxwings, and many other types of birds and mammels. These trees also make great nesting sites for squirrels and other birds that nest in taller trees. |
Central and Eastern United States |
 |
| Tulip Poplar |
Liriodendron tulipifera |
Many birds and rodents feed on the seeds of this tree. As the tree matures, it provides shelter and nesting sites for birds. |
Eastern United States |
 |
| Washington Hawthorn |
Crataegus phaenopyrum |
The washington hawthorn is an abundant producer of fruits which are eaten by many birds and mammels throughout the winter. It is also an important nectar source for bees. This tree is also a great source of shelter and makes great nesting sites for birds. This is a great tree for attracting songbirds. |
Southeastern United States |
 |
| Wax Myrtle |
Myrica cerifera |
Great winter food source for turkeys, bob-white quail, waterfowl, bluebirds, thrashers, and warblers. Wax myrtles are known to grow into thickets providing protection and shelter for birds and mammels. |
Southeastern United States |
 |
| Willow Oak |
Quercus phellos |
As with many other oaks, willow oaks provide essential habitats for birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and mammels. More than 100 species of vertebrate animals are known to consume acorns in the United States. |
Eastern and Central United States |
 |
| Winged Elm |
Ulmus alata |
Host plant to the question mark butterfly larvae. Provides cover and nesting sites for birds. Small mammels and birds also consume the seeds. |
Southeastern and Southcentral United States |
 |
| Yaupon Holly |
Ilex vomitoria |
The yaupon hollies weeping evergreen growth habit make it a great shelter and nesting site for many birds and small mammels in the winter. The leaves contain the highest caffeine content of any other plant native to North America. |
Southeastern United States |
 |
