Be a Caterpillar Farmer

As we head into Spring, I urge you to consider becoming a caterpillar farmer. No, I’m not suggesting you mail order caterpillar eggs to raise and then release (although that could be a lot of fun, especially if you have kids); instead, I’m asking you to consider planting host plants, shrubs, and trees for native caterpillars. Why? Because caterpillars are the main baby food for baby birds, and native caterpillars tend to appear at just the right time to feed these baby birds.

Just one pair of chickadees, raising a single clutch, needs to bring home 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars to successfully launch their young, according to Doug Tallamy, a professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware, and the founder of Homegrown National Park (https://homegrownnationalpark.org). Nearly all terrestrial bird parents in North America–96%–feed caterpillars to their young. Clearly, making sure that our local habitats have an abundant and diverse supply of caterpillars is crucial for our birds, and ecosystem health as a whole.

What plants, shrubs, and trees host the most caterpillars? Of course, the answer depends on where you live, but for North America, the hands down answer is the oak tree. Plant a tree from a native oak species, and you will be supporting up to 395 different species of caterpillars. Other helpful trees and shrubs include: cherry and plum trees (they support around 245 caterpillar species), native willows (190 caterpillar species), and blueberries (150 species). Herbaceous plants support considerably fewer caterpillar species than woody plants, but there are a few standouts, such as: goldenrods (solidago) which support up to 82 species, sunflowers (helianthus) which host up to 58 species, and strawberries (fragaria) which sustain 48 species.

For more ideas on what to plant to attract caterpillars to your garden, visit the National Wildlife Federation’s, Host Plants for Butterflies and Moths page and explore their plant lists organized by region (Host Plants by Ecoregion (nwf.org)

Sources:

“Caterpillar: It’s What’s for Dinner,” NestWatch.org

Rob Diaz De Villegas, “Bang for Your Caterpillar Buck: Which Plants Host the Most?” WFSU Ecology Blog.