Catalpa bignonioides - Catalpa

Plant community: N/A

Native region: United States

Mature size: Height: 30 to 60 feet, Spread: 20 to 40 feet

Habitat: Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forests

Hardiness Zone(s): 5-9

Leaf color: Summer: light green above, pubescent below, Fall: yellow

Bloom color: white flowers with purple and yellow inner markings

Benefit to Wildlife: Important source of nectar for honey bees. 

Larval host: Sole larval host: Catalpa sphinx (Ceratomia catalpae)

Sources:

https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/species/catalpa/bignonioides/

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=277905&isprofile=0&

Prunus serotina - Black Cherry

Plant community: New England Barrier Beach

Native region: Northeastern United States (native)

Mature size: Height: 50 to 80 feet, Spread: 30 to 60 feet

Habitat: Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), floodplain (river or stream floodplains), forests

Hardiness Zone(s): 3–9

Leaf color: Summer: lustrous dark green, Fall: Yellow to red

Flower color: White

Benefit to Wildlife: White-tailed deer eat the leaves and twigs without harm (though is toxic to livestock), and browse small to moderate amounts of seedlings and saplings. Black cherry fruits are important mast for numerous species of birds and mammals.  Numerous songbirds feed on black cherries as they migrate south in the fall. Passerine birds that make considerable use of black cherry fruits include the American robin, brown thrasher, mockingbird, eastern bluebird, European starling, gray catbird, blue jay, willow flycatcher, northern cardinal, common crow, and waxwings, thrushes, woodpeckers, grackles, grosbeaks, sparrows, and vireos.  Black cherries are also important in the summer and fall diets of the ruffed grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, wild turkey, northern bobwhite, and greater and lesser prairie chicken.  The red fox, raccoon, opossum, and squirrels and rabbits also eat the fruit.  Black cherries have been described as a favorite food of black bears.

Larval host: Sole larval host: Eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum) (only Prunus serotina), Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio appalachiensis) (only Prunus serotina), Coral hairstreak (Harkencienus titus) (only Prunus 1/3), Promethea moth (Callosamia promethea) (1/10), Tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) (1/5), Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia) (1/8), Small-eyed sphinx (Paonias myops) (1/2), Wild cherry sphinx (Sphinx drupiferarum) (1/2), Banded tussock moth (Halysidota tessellaris) (1/4), Black-etched prominent (Cerura scitiscripta) (1/3), Yellow-necked caterpillar (Datana ministra) (1/5)

Sources:

Dirr, Michael. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing LLC, 2009. Print.

Tallamy, Douglas W. Bringing Nature Home. Portland: Timber, 2009. Print.

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a914

https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/species/prunus/serotina/

http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/pruser/all.html