A Habitat Learning Lab includes outdoor learning stations that serve as habitats for native backyard wildlife such as butterflies and other pollinators, songbirds, and frogs and toads. Each habitat includes different species of plants that provide the food and/or shelter for the adult wildlife species and/or the basic needs for the wildlife species’ young (caterpillars, larvae, chicks, or tadpoles).
Visit our Why Plant Native Plants page to learn why it is important to plant natives instead of non-native species. Check out our Plant Purpose Chart (PDF) to learn more about the purpose of many common Habitat Lab plant species listed below.
Click on the buttons below to find the plant suggestions for backyard wildlife visiting your Habitat Lab:
The butterfly habitat in your Habitat Lab should include host plants—the specific plant species that a butterfly species will lay her eggs on and that her caterpillars will eat before creating a chrysalis to go through metamorphosis into an adult butterfly. Adult butterflies will eat the nectar from all of the flowering plants throughout your Habitat Lab.
Below are plant suggestions that will help provide host plants for the butterflies visiting your Habitat Lab. For more habitat suggestions, visit our Butterfly Habitat Learning Station page.
Visit the Alabama Butterfly Atlas website for additional host plant suggestions for all of the butterflies that call Alabama home.
American Lady, Vanessa virginiensis
Cudweed, Gamochaeta
Pennsylvania Everlasting, Gamochaeta pensylvanica
Plaintain Leaf Pussytoes, Antennaria plantaginifolia
Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes
American Lovage, Ligusticum canadense
Carrots, Daucus carota
Dill, Anethum graveolens
Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare
Golden Alexander, Zizia aurea
Hairy Angelica, Angelica venenosa
Parsley, Petroselinum crispum
Queen Anne’s Lace/Wild Carrot, Daucus carota
Threadleaf Mock Bishopweed, Ptilimnium capillaceum
White Nymph, Trepocarpus aethusae
Cabbage White, Pieris rapae
Broccoli, Brassica oleracea var. italica
Cabbage, Brassica oleracea var. capitata
Chinese Mustard/Mustard Greens, Brassica juncea
Peppergrass, Lepidium virginicum
Poorman’s Pepperwort/Virginia
Carolina Satyr, Hermeuptychia sosybius
Witch Grass/Rosette Grass, Dichanthelium spp.
Clouded Skipper, Lerema accius
Canes, Arundinaria spp.
Cutgrass, Leersia spp.
Johnson Grass, Sorghum halepense
Purple Top, Tridens flavus
River Oats, Chasmanthium latifolium
Sorghum/Broom Corn/Milo, Sorghum bicolor var bicolor
Southern Crabgrass, Digitaria ciliaris
Vasey’s Grass, Paspalum urvillei
Cloudless Sulphur, Phoebis sennae
Common Partridge Pea, Chamaecrista fasciculata
Common Sensitive Plant, Chamaecrista nictitans
Common Buckeye, Junonia coenia
Blue Vervain, Verbena hastata
Carolina Wild Petunia, Ruellia caroliniensis
Creeping Frogfruit, Phyla nodiflora
Foxglove, Agalinis purpurea
Garden Snapdragon, Antirrhinum majus
Great Plantain/Common Plantain, Plantago major
Hoary Vervain, Verbena stricta
Long Bract Plantain, Plantago aristata
Old Field/Common Toadflax, Linaria canadensis
Purple Gerardia/Purple False
Slender False Foxglove, Agalinis tenuifolia
Common Checkered Skipper, Burnsius communis
Carolina Bristle Mallow, Modiola caroliniana
Fanpetals, Sida spp.
Eastern Tailed-Blue, Cupido comyntas
Blue False Indigo, Baptisia australis
Carolina Vetch, Vicia caroliniana
Downy Milk Pea, Galactia volubilis
Red Clover, Trifolium pratense
White Clover, Trifolium repens
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus
*Alabama’s State Butterfly
Black Cherry, Prunus serotina
Green Ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Sweet Bay Magnolia, Magnolia virginiana
Tulip Poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera
Fiery Skipper, Hylephila phyleus
Purple Nutsedge, Cyperus rotundus
Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae
Blue Passionflower, Passiflora caerulea
Purple Passionflower, Passiflora incarnata
Yellow Passionflower, Passiflora lutea
Henry’s Elfin, Callophrys henrici
Yaupon Holly, Ilex vomitoria
Horace’s Duskywing, Erynnis horatius
Red Oak, Quercus rubra
Sand Live Oak/Scrub Live Oak, Quercus geminata
Scrub Oak, Quercus ilicifolia
Water Oak, Quercus nigra
White Oak, Quercus alba
Monarch, Danaus plexippus
Butterfly Milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa
Common Milkweed, Asclepias syriaca
Eastern Whorled Milkweed, Asclepias verticillata
Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata
Painted Lady, Vanessa cardul
Common Yarrow, Achillea millefolium
Swamp Rose Mallow, Hibiscus grandifloras
Thistles, Cirsium spp.
Pearl Crescent, Phyciodes tharos
Heartleaf Aster/Blue Wood Aster, Symphyotrichum cordifolium
New England Aster, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Stokes Aster, Stokesia laevis
Wavy Leaf Aster, Symphyotrichum undulatum
Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor
Virginia Snakeroot, Endodeca serpentaria
Woolly Dutchman’s Pipe, Isotrema tomentosum
Question Mark, Polygonia interrogationis
American Elm, Ulmus americana
False Nettle, Boehmeria cylindrica
Hackberry spp., Celtis spp.
Common Hops, Humulus lupulus
Winged Elm, Ulmus alata
Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta
Canadian Wood Nettle, Laportea canadensis
False Nettle, Boehmeria cylindrica
Red-banded Hairstreak, Calycopis cecrops
Oaks, Quercus spp.
Sumac, Rhus
Wax Myrtle, Myrica cerifera
Silver-spotted Skipper, Epargyreus clarus
American Hog Peanut, Amphicarpaea bracteata
American Wisteria, Wisteria frutescens
Black Locust, Robinia pseudoacacia
Tall Indigo Bush/False Indigo, Amorpha fruticosa
Spicebush Swallowtail, Papilio troilus
Camphor Tree, Cinnamomum camphora
Red Bay, Tamala borbonia
Sassafras, Sassafras albidum
Smooth Northern Spicebush, Lindera benzoin
Swamp Bay, Tamala palustris
Spring Azure, Celastrina ladon
Flowering Dogwood, Cornus florida
Mapleleaf Viburnum, Viburnum acerifolium
Summer Azure, Celastrina neglecta
Common New Jersey Tea, Ceanothus americanus
White Crownbeard, Verbescina virginica
Common Wingstem, Verbesina alternifolia
Devil’s Walkingstick/Hercules Club, Aralia spinosa
Flowering Dogwood, Cornus florida
Swamp Dogwood, Cornus stricta
Sparkleberry, Vaccinium arboreum
Sneezeweeds, Helenium spp.
Viceroy, Limenitis archippus
Carolina willow, Salix caroliniana
Willows, Salix spp.
Zebra Swallowtail, Neographium marcellus
Common Pawpaw, Asimina triloba
Small Fruit Pawpaw, Asimina parviflora
A Pollinator Garden should include flowering perennials that provide nectar and pollen throughout the growing season. The most critical component of a Pollinator Garden is native plants (plants that occur naturally in our area). They are easier to grow and are better adapted for our specific climate and soil.
Below are native plant suggestions that will help provide habitat for the pollinators using your Habitat Lab. For more habitat suggestions, visit our Pollinator Habitat Learning Station page.
Anise Hyssop, Agastache foeniculum
Bee Balm, Monarda fistulosa
Beeblossom, Oenothera lindheimeri
Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta
Blanket Flower, Gaillardia pulchella
Blue False Indigo, Baptisia australis
Blue Mistflower, Conoclinium coelestinum
Blue Verbena, Verbena hastata
Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis
Common Goldenrod, Solidago altissima
Dense Blazing Star, Liatris spicata
False Sunflower, Heliopsis helianthoides
Ironweed, Veronia gigantea
Lanceleaf Tickseed, Coreopsis lanceolata
Mountain Mint, Pycnanthemum incanum
Narrowleaf Sunflower, Helianthus angustifolia
Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea
Red Sage, Salvia coccinea
Rose Vervain, Glandularia canadensis
Stokes Aster, Stokesia laevis
Oakleaf Hydrangea, Hydrangea quercifolia
Serviceberry, Amelanchier arborea
Sweet Pepperbush, Clethra alnifolia
A Songbird Habitat should provide habitat for local and migrating songbirds including native trees, shrubs, grasses, forbs (wildflowers) and vines that produce mast (such as berries, seeds and nuts) and/or native shrubs, grasses, and forbs that attract insects for the birds to eat.
Below are native plant suggestions that will help provide habitat for the songbirds visiting your Habitat Lab. For more habitat suggestions, visit our Songbird Habitat Learning Station page.
Black Cherry, Prunus serotina
Common Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis
Longleaf Pine, Pinus palustris
Eastern Red Cedar, Juniperus virginiana
Red Maple, Acer rubrum
Chickasaw Plum, Prunus angustifolia
Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis
Flowering Dogwood, Cornus florida
PawPaw, Asimina triloba
Red Buckeye, Aesculus pavia
American Holly, Ilex opaca
Yaupon Holly, Ilex vomitoria
Wax Myrtle, Morella cerifera
Beebalm, Monarda fistulosa
Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta
Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis
Great Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica
Lanceleaf Tickseed, Coreopsis lanceolata
Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea
Carolina Jessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens
Coral Honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens
Crossvine, Bignonia capreolata
Purple Passionflower, Passiflora incarnata
Trumpet Creeper, Campsis radicans
Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia
American Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana
Blueberry, Vaccinium virgatum &/or Vaccinium corymbosum
Elderberry, Sambucus nigra spp. canadendsis
Mapleleaf Viburnum, Viburnum acerifolium
Northern Spicebush, Lindera benzoin
Red Chokeberry, Photinia pyrifolia
Serviceberry, Amelanchier arborea
Sparkleberry, Vaccinium arboreum
Sweetshrub, Calycanthus floridus
Virginia sweet spire, Itea virginica</em
White Fringetree, Chionanthus virginicus
Winterberry, Ilex verticillata
Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis
Oakleaf Hydrangea, Hydrangea quercifolia
Sweet Pepperbush, Clethra alnifolia
Little Bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium
Pink Muhly Grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris
Switchgrass, Panicum virgatum
A Frog & Toad Habitat should be built in a shady spot, and it needs to include a pond for frogs to lay their eggs in and a bog with moist soil for toads to burrow in for temperature regulation. The native plants found in this type of habitat must prefer shade and thrive in moist environments.
Below are the suggested native plants that will help provide habitat for the frogs and toads visiting your Habitat Lab. For more habitat suggestions, visit our Frog & Toad Learning Station page.
Arrow Arum, Peltandra virginica
Horsetail, Equisetum hyemale
Lizard’s Tail, Saururus cernuus
Pickerelweed, Pontederia cordata
Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis
Blue eyed grass, Sisyrinchium atlanticum
Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrostichoides
Cinnamon Fern, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
Dutchman’s Breeches, Dicentra cucullaria
Dwarf Crested Iris,Iris cristata
Eastern Red Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis
Fire Pink, Silene virginica
Great Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica
Heartleaf Foamflower, Tiarella cordifolia
Jack in the Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum
Jacob’s Ladder, Polemonium reptans
Joe-pye Weed, Eutrochium fistulosum
Lady Fern, Athyrium filix-femina
Roundlobe Hepatica, Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa
Shooting Star, Dodecatheon meadia
Southern Shield Fern, Thelypteris kunthii
Southern Woodfern, Dryopteris ludoviciana
Spiderwort, Tradescantia occidentalis
Spotted Geranium, Geranium maculatum
Stokes Aster, Stokesia laevis
Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata
Sweet Betsy Trillium, Trillium cuneatum
Virginia Bluebells, Mertensia virginica
Wild Blue Phox, Phlox divaricata
Wild Ginger, Asarum arifolium
Wood Anemone, Anemone quinquefolia
Yellow Trout-Lily, Erythronium americanum
Ajuga, Ajuga reptans
Native Violets
Wild Ginger, Hexastylis arifolia
Woodland Stonecrop, Sedum ternatum
American Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana
Sweet Pepperbush, Clethra alnifolia
Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis
Virginia Sweetspire, Itea virginica
Oakleaf Hydrangea, Hydrangea quercifolia
