04/27/2026
The tree in your yard isn't just shade. It's the base of a food chain.
Nesting chickadees need a remarkable number of caterpillars to raise one clutch — far more than most people would guess. Native trees host those caterpillars. Most non-native ornamentals host very few. The difference between what you plant determines what can nest nearby.
🌿 Native trees ranked by how many caterpillar species they support:
- Oak — more caterpillar species than any other tree genus in North America. One mature oak supports more insect life than entire yards of non-native ornamentals
- Black cherry — the native cherry most people treat as a w**d tree. Its caterpillar load feeds more birds than most ornamental cherries planted in its place
- Willow — fast-growing, water-loving, and among the highest caterpillar hosts on the continent. Native willows outperform the common weeping willow hybrids by a wide margin
- Birch — white, river, and paper birch all rank in the top tier. The caterpillars feeding on birch foliage are primary food for warblers and chickadees during nesting season
- Poplar and cottonwood — the messy tree people complain about is one of the more important wildlife trees in the country. The cotton is a minor inconvenience. The ecological output is hard to replace
- Native maple — red maple and sugar maple, not the imported Norway maple that lines many suburban streets. Norway maple supports far fewer caterpillar species than its native counterparts
- Elm — American elm was the dominant street tree for good reason. Disease-resistant cultivars are returning and bringing the caterpillar community with them
- Hickory — slow-growing and long-lived. The nuts feed mammals. The foliage feeds caterpillars. The caterpillars feed birds. A complete food web in one tree
- Native pine — the evergreen people assume supports nothing because it doesn't flower. Pine-specialist caterpillars are important food for birds in winter and early spring when deciduous trees are bare
The tree you choose determines what can eat, nest, and raise young within reach of it 🌿
