There are five species of groundcherries (Physalis spp.) that are native to the northeast out of twenty-nine total listed by the USDA (with four of those non-native). The fruits of groundcherries are a personal favorite, though it is worth keeping in mind that the rest of the plant is toxic, including to animals. Aside from being delicious, the fruits have sometimes been used by Native Americans medicinally and at least one study seems to support that. Groundcherries may be delicious food, but are also often considered a problematic weed in the production of other foods, like soybeans, where they may invade fields.
One cool thing about groundcherries as a caterpillar host plant is that the Subflexus straw moth larvae uses the secondary toxic chemicals as immune boosters and fights off pathogens. Unfortunately, this was the only caterpillar I could find that uses groundcherries as a host. This may simply be due to the large number of articles about the straw moth drowning out the rest.
The five northeast natives are:
Virginia groundcherry (Physalis virginiana)
Longleaf groundcherry (Physalis longifolia)
Clammy groundcherry (Physalis heterophylla)
Strawberry-tomato (Physalis grisea)
Husk tomato (Physalis pubescens)
https://phys.org/news/2016-08-moth-advantage-defensive-compounds-physalis.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis_virginiana
USDA Plant Profiles
Photo Credit:
By Matthieu Godbout https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2061193
Mountain mint is the common name attributed to many American mint species (Pycnanthemum spp.). All species in this genus are actually native to North America. Mountain mints are known for their attractiveness to pollinators, being constantly visited and revisted. Also, these mints smell and taste pretty much exactly like you think mint should. It is worth pointing out, however, that is it not the same mint as the European varieties you may be used to. And some American mints are not healthy in large doses, so check which species you plant.
Further Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pycnanthemum
Photo Credit: SB Johnny https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2380487
Huckleberries are common throughout North America, with different species dominating different areas. Pictured is the black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata) common in the northeastern United States. At least a dozen caterpillars feed on the leaves and the fruit is delicious.
Further Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaylussacia_baccata
https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=GABA
Photo Credit:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10995045
Black walnut (Juglans nigra) is a tree native to the eastern half of the United States. It is commonly grown for its lumber, but the nuts are also quite popular. It is also host to over a hundred caterpillar species, making it extremely important for biodiversity while also managing to be a tasty source of food for humans.
Further Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juglans_nigra
https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=JUNI
Photo Credit:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1073230