Many gardeners enjoy wildlife in their gardens. Birds, butterflies, bees, and other garden visitors add an interesting dimension to gardens, and many gardeners want to attract these animals to their gardens. The Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox identifies plants that are attractive to various kinds of wildlife; however, the recommendations of the Plant Toolbox are specific to wildlife in North Carolina.

For example, the bats of North Carolina feed exclusively on insects, like moths, mosquitoes, and midges. In other parts of the US and the world, some bats feed on nectar (and are important pollinators) and others feed on fruits (and are important seed dispersers). Growing bat-pollinated plants in North Carolina will not attract pollinating bats, as those kinds of bats do not occur in North Carolina.

Gardeners using the Plant Toolbox outside of North Carolina should make planting decisions with their local fauna in mind.