Comptonia peregrina

Habitat: Dry oak/heath forests, pine-oak/heath woodlands, sandhill woodlands, and sandy clearings; usually in habitats subject (at least historically) to frequent fires. Common in the mountains, although absent from far southwestern Virginia; infrequent in the inner Piedmont; rare in the inner Coastal Plain.

Wildlife Benefits: Host to 49 species of lepidoptera throughout its range, including the sweetfern underwing moth (Catocala antinympha) and the gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus). Cedar waxwings also eat their fruits and eastern cottontails use this shrub as cover.