A single pair of chickadees needs 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars to raise one clutch of young.
Douglas Tallamy, entomologist, University of Delaware — as cited by University of Illinois Extension.
Native plants feed insects. Insects feed birds. Most birds that nest in North America raise their young on insects, not on seed.
So what gets planted decides what can live here.Caterpillar species each genus supports in this ecoregion. A few genera do most of the work: this is the Tallamy finding, and it is why the list below is not just a catalogue.
Counts are per genus, not per species, and come from the National Wildlife Federation and Douglas Tallamy for Ecoregion 8. They describe what the genus supports in this region, not what has been counted in this garden.
Trees and palms. Where canopy and mid-canopy feeders glean. 33 here.
| Plant | Feeds | When |
|---|---|---|
| Bluff Oak Quercus austrina | 436 caterpillar species (Quercus); Hundreds of Lepidoptera (oaks are top hosts) | Spring |
| Laurel Oak Quercus laurifolia | 436 caterpillar species (Quercus); Hundreds of Lepidoptera (oaks are top hosts) | Spring |
| Live Oak Quercus virginiana | 436 caterpillar species (Quercus); Hundreds of Lepidoptera (oaks are top hosts) | Spring |
| Sand Live Oak Quercus geminata | 436 caterpillar species (Quercus); Hundreds of Lepidoptera (oaks are top hosts) | Spring |
| Flatswood Plum Prunus umbellata | 340 caterpillar species (Prunus); Red‑spotted purple & other butterflies; nectar | Late winter–Spring |
| 'Duraheat' Riverbirch Betula nigra 'Duraheat' | 284 caterpillar species (Betula); Mourning cloak, Lepidoptera | Catkins |
| 'Florida Flame' Red Maple Acer rubrum 'Florida Flame' | 238 caterpillar species (Acer); Cecropia moth; nectar | Late winter–Spring |
| Densa' Pine Pinus elliottii var. densa | 200 caterpillar species (Pinus); Pine elfin | Cones |
| Longleaf Pine Pinus palustris | 200 caterpillar species (Pinus); Pine elfin | Cones |
| Slash Pine Pinus elliottii | 200 caterpillar species (Pinus); Pine elfin | Cones |
| Winged Elm Ulmus alata | 164 caterpillar species (Ulmus) | Late winter |
| Bald Cypress Taxodium distichum | no sourced record yet | Spring |
| Cascade Falls Bald Cypress Taxodium distichum 'Cascade Falls' | no sourced record yet | |
| Dahoon Holly Ilex cassine | Henry’s elfin; nectar | Spring |
| Dwarf Palmetto Sabal minor | nectar | Late spring–summer |
| Eagleston Holly Ilex × attenuata 'Eagleston' | Henry’s elfin; nectar | Spring |
| Green Saw Palmetto Serenoa repens 'Green Form' | nectar | Spring–Summer |
| Hercules’ Club (Prickly Ash) Zanthoxylum clava-herculis | Giant Swallowtail; nectar | Spring |
| Juniper Eastern Red Cedar Juniperus virginiana | Juniper hairstreak | Cones |
| Needle Palm Rhapidophyllum hystrix | nectar | Spring |
| Paurotis palm Acoelorrhaphe wrightii | nectar | Spring–Summer |
| Pond Cypress Taxodium ascendens | no sourced record yet | Spring |
| Sabal Palm Sabal palmetto | nectar | Summer |
| Silver Saw Palmetto Serenoa repens 'Silver Form' | nectar | Spring–Summer |
| Souther Red Cedar Juniperus silicicola | Juniper hairstreak | Cones |
| Southern Magnolia Magnolia grandiflora | Tiger swallowtail; nectar | Late spring–Summer |
| Sweetbay Magnolia Magnolia virginiana | Tiger swallowtail; nectar | Spring–Summer |
| Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua | no sourced record yet | Spring |
| Sweetgum Slender Silhouette Liquidambar styraciflua 'Slender Silhouette' | no sourced record yet | Spring |
| Sycamore Platanus occidentalis | Sycamore tussock moth | Spring |
| Wax Myrtle Myrica cerifera | no sourced record yet | Spring |
| White Fringe Tree Chionanthus virginicus | nectar | Spring |
| Yaupon Holly Ilex vomitoria | Henry’s elfin; nectar | Spring |
Shrubs and vines. Where understory feeders glean. 26 here.
| Plant | Feeds | When |
|---|---|---|
| Darrow's Blueberry Vaccinium darrowii | 217 caterpillar species (Vaccinium); Henry’s elfin; Striped hairstreak; nectar | Late winter–Spring |
| Don's Dwarf' Wax Myrtle Morella cerifera 'Don’s Dwarf' | 103 caterpillar species (Morella); nectar | Spring |
| 'Densa' Viburnum Viburnum obovatum 'Densa' | Clearwing moths; nectar | Spring |
| 'Little Psycho' Wild Coffee Psychotria nervosa ‘Little Psycho’™ | nectar | Spring–Summer |
| 'Mrs Schillers' Viburnum Viburnum obovatum 'Mrs. Schiller’s' | Clearwing moths; nectar | Spring |
| 'Ocala' Anise Illicium parviflorum 'Ocala' | nectar | Spring–Summer |
| 'Show Stopper' Simpson's Stopper Myrcianthes fragrans ‘Show Stopper’™ | nectar | Spring–Summer |
| 'Withlacoochee' Viburnum Viburnum obovatum 'Withlacoochee' | Clearwing moths; nectar | Spring |
| American Beautyberry Callicarpa americana | nectar | Spring–Summer |
| Atlantic St. John's Wort Hypericum tenuifolium | nectar | Spring–Summer |
| Bahamian Coffee Psychotria ligustrifolia | nectar | Spring–Summer |
| Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis | nectar | Late spring–Summer |
| Buttonsage Lantana involucrata | nectar | Year‑round |
| Calusa Firebush Hamelia patens ‘Calusa’™ | nectar | Year‑round |
| Carolina jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens | nectar | Late winter–Spring |
| Cocoplum Chrysobalanus icaco | nectar | Spring–Summer |
| Coral Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens | Snowberry clearwing; nectar | Spring |
| Coral bean Erythrina herbacea | nectar | Spring |
| Corkystem Passionflower Passiflora suberosa | Zebra Longwing; Gulf Fritillary; nectar | Spring–Fall |
| Firebush Dwarf Compacta Hamelia patens 'Compacta' | nectar | Year‑round |
| Florida Swampprivet Forestiera segregata | nectar | Late winter–Spring |
| Holly 'Schilling's Dwarf' Ilex vomitoria 'Schilling's Dwarf' | Henry’s elfin; nectar | Spring |
| Purple Passionflower Passiflora incarnata | Zebra Longwing; Gulf Fritillary; nectar | Spring–Fall |
| Scarlet Morning Glory Ipomoea hederifolia | nectar | Summer–Fall |
| Sea Oxeye Daisy Borrichia frutescens | nectar | Spring–Fall |
| Wild Lime (Toothache Tree) Zanthoxylum fagara | Giant Swallowtail; nectar | Spring |
Perennials, grasses and groundcovers. Where most of this garden's birds feed. 47 here.
| Plant | Feeds | When |
|---|---|---|
| Seaside Goldenrod Solidago sempervirens | 104 caterpillar species (Solidago); nectar | Fall |
| Walter’s Aster Symphyotrichum walteri | 100 caterpillar species (Symphyotrichum); nectar | Fall |
| Dune Sunflower Helianthus debilis | 66 caterpillar species (Helianthus); nectar | Spring–Fall |
| Black Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | 20 caterpillar species (Rudbeckia); Silvery checkerspot; nectar | Spring–Summer |
| Lanceleaf Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata | 7 caterpillar species (Coreopsis); nectar | Spring–Summer |
| Leavenworth Tickseed Coreopsis leavenworthii | 7 caterpillar species (Coreopsis); nectar | Spring–Fall |
| Goldenaster Chrysopsis spp. | 5 caterpillar species (Chrysopsis); nectar | Late summer–Fall |
| 'Blazing Star' Liatras Liatris spicata 'Blazing Star' | nectar | Late summer–Fall |
| 'Native Star' Starry Rosin Flower Silphium asteriscus 'Native Star' | nectar | Year‑round |
| 'White Cloud' Muhly Grass Muhlenbergia capillaris 'White Cloud' | Grass skippers; Little Wood Satyr; Carolina Satyr | Panicles late summer–fall |
| Adams Needle Yucca filamentosa | Yucca moth | Late spring–summer |
| Aquatic milkweed Asclepias perennis | Monarch; Queen; Soldier; nectar | Spring–Summer (varies by species) |
| Azure Blue Sage Salvia azurea | no sourced record yet | |
| Beebalm Monarda punctata | nectar | Summer–Early fall |
| Blanket Flower Gaillardia pulchella | nectar | Spring–Fall |
| Butterfly Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa | Monarch; Queen; Soldier; nectar | Spring–Summer (varies by species) |
| Button Rattlesnake Master Eryngium yuccifolium | nectar | Spring-Summer |
| Carolina Wild Petunia Ruellia caroliniensis | Common Buckeye; nectar | Spring–Fall |
| Coontie Zamia floridana | Atala butterfly | Cones (no nectar) |
| Dry Twinflower Dyschoriste oblongifolia | Common buckeye; nectar | Spring–Fall |
| Dwarf Fakahatchee Grass Tripsacum floridanum | Grass skippers; Little Wood Satyr; Carolina Satyr | Panicles late summer–fall |
| Elliott's Lovegrass Eragrostis elliottii | Grass skippers; Little Wood Satyr; Carolina Satyr | Panicles late summer–fall |
| Fakahatchee Grass Tripsacum dactyloides | Grass skippers; Little Wood Satyr; Carolina Satyr | Panicles late summer–fall |
| False Rosemary Conradina canescens | nectar | Spring-Fall |
| Florida Greeneyes Berlandiera subacaulis | nectar | Spring–Fall |
| Forked Bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum | nectar | Spring–Fall |
| Frogfruit Phyla nodiflora | Common buckeye; Phaon crescent; White peacock; nectar | Spring–Fall |
| Giant Ironweed Vernonia gigantea | nectar | Late summer–Fall |
| Joe‑Pye Weed Eutrochium purpureum | nectar | Summer–Fall |
| Manyflower beardtongue Penstemon multiflorus | nectar | Spring |
| Milkweed 'Swamp' Asclepias incarnata | Monarch; Queen; Soldier; nectar | Spring–Summer (varies by species) |
| Narrowleaf Ironweed Vernonia angustifolia | nectar | Late Summer–Fall |
| Narrowleaf Silkgrass Pityopsis graminifolia var. tracyi | nectar | Fall |
| Native Blue Porterweed Stachytarpheta jamaicensis | Tropical buckeye; nectar | Year‑round |
| Ohio Spiderwort Tradescantia ohiensis | Virginia tiger moth; nectar | Late winter–Spring |
| Partridge Pea Chamaecrista fasciculata | Cloudless Sulphur; Little Yellow; Ceraunus Blue; Gray Hairstreak; nectar | Summer–Fall |
| Pink Muhly Grass Muhlenbergia capillaris | Grass skippers; Little Wood Satyr; Carolina Satyr | Panicles late summer–fall |
| Purple Lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis | Grass skippers; Little Wood Satyr; Carolina Satyr | Panicles late summer–fall |
| Sand Cord Grass Spartina bakeri | Grass skippers; Little Wood Satyr; Carolina Satyr | Panicles late summer–fall |
| Scarlet hibiscus Hibiscus coccineus | Gray hairstreak; checkered skippers; some moths; nectar | Summer–Early fall |
| Scorpion Tail Heliotropium angiospermum | nectar | Year‑round |
| Sensitive Pea Chamaecrista nictitans | Cloudless Sulphur; Little Yellow; Ceraunus Blue; Gray Hairstreak; nectar | Summer–Fall |
| Stokes Aster Stokesia laevis | nectar | Year‑round |
| Sunshine Mimosa Mimosa strigillosa | Little sulphur; nectar | Spring–Fall |
| Swamp Hibiscus Hibiscus grandiflorus | Moth; nectar | Summer–Fall |
| Swamp Twinflower Dyschoriste humistrata | Common buckeye; nectar | Spring–Fall |
| Tropical Sage Salvia coccinea | nectar | Year‑round |
158 sourced claims cover the plants above. Each names a publisher, a title, a URL and the date it was checked. Principal sources are UF/IFAS Extension, the Florida Wildflower Foundation, the Florida Native Plant Society and the UF/IFAS Lake County butterfly fact sheet.
25 of those claims are flagged for verification and are not settled fact. They are marked in the source data and should not be quoted as confirmed.
About this list. These are the 106 native plants on Pavilion Garden’s planting list, cultivars and selections of natives included. Non-native species are not shown. This is a planting list, not a survey of what is standing in the ground today — it is being audited against the garden, and some entries may turn out not to be planted here. Read a plant’s presence as “on the planting list”, not as “observed growing here”.