Bats play a critical role in the ecosystem; feeding on numerous species of insects, many that we consider pests — such as mosquitoes. Moths make up a large part of bat diets because they are active at night. Moths are attracted to flowers that open through the night or bloom through the evening, are fragrant, and are visible at night. White or yellow flowers are the most visible. Planting a mixture of nectar and host plants will encourage the highest possible diversity of moths and other night flying pollinators that attract bats. Trees are beneficial in so many ways. They don’t close their flowers at night and they are host plants to many kinds of native insects. Tall trees with large diameter trunks and trees with shaggy or sloughing bark, like shagbark hickory, (Carya ovata), provide important roosts for bats. Oak trees especially are a boon because they host hundreds of moth and insect species that bats forage on.
Good for: Bats
| Scientific Name | Common Name(s) | Ground cover? | Evergreen? | Plant Form(s) | Tolerates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acer negundo var. negundo | Eastern boxelder | No | No | Medium Trees | Wet conditions |
| Acer rubrum | Red maple | No | No | Large Trees | Air pollution, Allelopathic plants, Dry soils, drought, Soil compaction, Urban environments, Wet conditions, Fire, Heat |
| Acer saccharinum | Silver maple | No | No | Large Trees | Soil compaction, Dry soils, drought, Air pollution, Heat, Poor soil, Wet conditions |
| Acer saccharum | Sugar maple | No | No | Large Trees | |
| Baptisia australis | Blue wild indigo, False blue indigo | No | No | Herbs | Allelopathic plants, Dry soils, drought, Salt, Soil compaction, Urban environments |
| Caltha palustris var. palustris | Marsh marigold, Cowslip | No | No | Herbs | Wet conditions |
| Carya cordiformis | Bitternut hickory | No | No | Large Trees | |
| Carya ovata | Shagbark hickory | No | No | Large Trees | Allelopathic plants |
| Carya tomentosa | Mockernut hickory | No | No | Large Trees | Dry soils, drought |
| Clethra alnifolia | Coastal white-alder, Sweet pepperbush | No | No | Shrubs & Small Trees | Salt, Wet conditions |
| Eutrochium fistulosum | Hollow joe-pye-weed, Joe pye thoroughwort, Joe-pye weed | No | No | Herbs | Wet conditions, Fire |
| Fraxinus americana | White ash, American ash | No | No | Large Trees | Dry soils, drought |
| Hydrangea arborescens | Wild hydrangea, Smooth hydrangea | No | No | Shrubs & Small Trees | Allelopathic plants, Salt |
| Iris versicolor | Harlequin blueflag, Northern blue flag, Large blue iris | No | No | Herbs | Wet conditions, Salt |
| Monarda fistulosa | Wild bergamot | No | No | Herbs | Allelopathic plants, Dry soils, drought |
| Oenothera biennis | Common evening-primrose | No | No | Herbs | |
| Phlox paniculata | Fall phlox, Garden phlox | No | No | Herbs | Salt, Allelopathic plants |
| Quercus alba | White oak | No | No | Large Trees | Dry soils, drought, Salt, Acidic soils, Allelopathic plants |
| Quercus bicolor | Swamp white oak | No | No | Large Trees | Dry soils, drought, Salt, Soil compaction, Wet conditions, Acidic soils, Allelopathic plants, Poor soil |
| Quercus coccinea | Scarlet oak | No | No | Large Trees | Allelopathic plants, Dry soils, drought |
| Quercus falcata | Southern red oak, Spanish oak | No | No | Large Trees | Dry soils, drought, Wet conditions, Acidic soils |
| Quercus michauxii | Swamp chestnut oak, Basket oak | No | No | Large Trees | Soil compaction, Urban environments, Wet conditions, Acidic soils |
| Quercus montana | Chestnut oak, Rock chestnut oak | No | No | Large Trees | Dry soils, drought, Poor soil |
| Quercus muehlenbergii | Chinquapin oak, Chinkapin oak, Yellow oak | No | No | Large Trees, Medium Trees | Dry soils, drought |
| Quercus nigra | Water oak | No | No | Large Trees, Medium Trees | |
| Quercus palustris | Pin oak | No | No | Medium Trees | Acidic soils, Salt, Wet conditions, Air pollution |
| Quercus phellos | Willow oak | No | No | Large Trees | Salt, Soil compaction, Air pollution, Wet conditions |
| Quercus rubra | Northern red oak | No | No | Large Trees | Dry soils, drought, Soil compaction, Allelopathic plants, Air pollution |
| Quercus shumardii | Shumard oak | No | No | Large Trees | |
| Quercus stellata | Post oak | No | No | Medium Trees | Dry soils, drought, Acidic soils, Poor soil |
| Quercus velutina | Black oak | No | No | Large Trees | Dry soils, drought, Salt, Allelopathic plants |
| Rudbeckia fulgida | Orange coneflower, Black-eyed susan, Early coneflower, Eastern coneflower, Black eyed susan | No | No | Herbs | Dry soils, drought, Salt, Soil compaction, Urban environments, Wet conditions |
| Solidago bicolor | Silverrod, White goldenrod | No | No | Herbs | Dry soils, drought |
| Solidago caesia | Bluestem goldenrod, Blue-stemmed goldenrod, Wreath goldenrod, Axillary goldenrod | No | No | Herbs | Allelopathic plants, Dry soils, drought, Wet conditions |
| Solidago erecta | Erect goldenrod, Slender goldenrod | No | No | Herbs | |
| Solidago flexicaulis | Broad-leaved goldenrod, Zigzag goldenrod | No | No | Herbs | |
| Solidago gigantea | Late goldenrod | No | No | Herbs | |
| Solidago juncea | Early goldenrod | No | No | Herbs | Dry soils, drought |
| Solidago pinetorum | Small's goldenrod, Pineywoods goldenrod | No | No | Herbs | |
| Solidago puberula | Downy goldenrod | No | No | Herbs | |
| Solidago rugosa | Rough-stemmed goldenrod, Wrinkle-leaf goldenrod | No | No | Herbs | Wet conditions |
| Solidago speciosa | Showy goldenrod | No | No | Herbs | |
| Trillium grandiflorum | Large-flowered trillium, Great white trillium | No | No | Herbs | |
| Viburnum acerifolium | Maple-leaf viburnum, Dockmackie | No | No | Shrubs & Small Trees | |
| Viburnum nudum | Southern wild raisin, Possum-haw | No | No | Shrubs & Small Trees | Salt, Wet conditions |
| Solidago odora | Sweet goldenrod, Anise-scented goldenrod | No | No | Herbs | Dry soils, drought |
| Quercus lyrata | Overcup oak | No | No | Large Trees, Medium Trees | |
| Solidago patula | Rough-leaved goldenrod | No | No | Herbs |