I need to know if there are any shade-loving vines that produce flowers that attract hummingbirds. I have multiple trellises, but they are placed close to the house, north/east/west sides, and they don't get all-day full sun. The east side gets early morning rising sun, then the eaves and a sweet gum tree cast the trellis in shade. The north side gets very early morning sun and very late setting sun, but shade throughout the day. The west side is in shade until about 1 PM, then strong sun, then dappled light through trees, then strong setting sun. Right now I have Manettia cordifolia Firecracker Vine, Ipomoea quamoclit Cypress Vine, Ipomoea x sloteri Cardinal Climber, Ipomoea purpurea Crimson Rambler Morning Glory, Ipomoea x multifida Cardinal Climber, Ipomoea coccinea var. hederifolia Scarlet Star Orange Morning Glory, Ipomoea coccinea Small Red Morning Glory, and Ipomoea luteola Scarlet Creeper growing on the west-side trellises, and none of them have bloomed! The other trellises (east/north) I hang potted plants on, filled with hummer-friendly annuals, because I can't get a lush covering of flowering vines to grow in the low light. I have had Mandevilla in previous years at all locations, (the hummers give the pink variety very little attention and do not visit the red variety at all), but at least I get a sparce-covering of blooms. Right now I have a new Honeysuckle on the west side, slowly vining it's way up a rose tower, and it is blooming, but not as vigorously as the honeysuckle growing and flowering in an island bed in the middle of the south-side lawn, which gets full all-day sun. We do tree trimming in the fall around the house, (the trees are about 30 years old), but anything planted under the eaves is shaded by the roof overhang for a length of time each day. I have other vines growing in a raised bed (west-side lawn) and potted with trellis (west-side lawn), where they get a mix of full sun/dappled sun/a little shade, from early morning to evening, and they are growing/blooming as expected. But up against the house... Any suggestions?
Hummer friendly vines for the shade.
You need to do a search for nectar producing plants that will bloom in the shade. A tough question. If there are any that are not vines you may have to pot and hang them on your trellis. Or plant what ever you like that works on that trellis and hang feeders from the trellis to attract hummers .
I am very impressed with the small flowered vines that you have now. Since you don't mind growing plants that reseed, salvia coccinea
works great....as does clerodendron bungii (cashmeer bouquet-see photo) , Mexican flame vine, and most budleia. But these all need sun.
Best of luck!
Johanna
Thanks, Johanna. I didn't know about clerodendron bungii, and I'm always interested in any plant the hummers like. Besides the trellises and 9 flower beds, I have a lot of terracotta pots and hanging baskets all over the place, packed with hummer-friendly plants, many of the pots and baskets in sunny locations, so I can plant a lot of different attractors around my property. Presently, I have Fuchsias, Begonia boliviensis Bonfire, Torenia, Calibrachoa and Nasturtim trailing on shady/semi-shady trellises from hanging baskets. I tried the hanging baskets on trellises last year for the first time and liked the overall look, but I still would like to have blooming vines to fill in the gaps. In past years I purchased Salvia coccinea Texas sage and Salvia Coral Nymph plants, then collected the seeds. This year I planted the seeds and the plants actually look better than anything I have ever bought from a nursery. In fact, this year I planted a lot of my annuals from seed and have been impressed with the results. Also, this year I tried for the first time Cuphea 'David Verity', Cuphea schumanii, Justicia fulvicoma Mexican Plume, and Russelia equisetiformis which the hummers have gone crazy for, along with the old standy-by, Salvia guaranitica. What I didn't plant from seed this year was Eccremocarpus scaber Tresco Crimson Chilean Glory Vine and Maurandya antirrhiniflora Snapdragon vine, which I regret, because they bloomed profusely last year and are small neat vines that fill in a trellis (with blooms) from the ground up. Geez, get me talking about hummer plants, and I go on, and on, and on... I think I'm going to post my shady vine question in the Vine Forum, also, and see if I score any results. Thanks, again.
You are doing all of this for just ruby throats? How many do you get? Your list of plants is super!! One plant that works very well for hummers is abutilon. especially the old bell shaped species that makes a tall plant covered with blooms.(photo) I am looking for abutilon Nabob--solid red, 5 ft tall, lots of nectar--makes a nice wide stand. Everything that I grow would die in your winter.
We have some wintering hummers here-rufous, broad tailed, black chinned, calliope, buff bellied, etc.--these are birds too light weight to survuve migrating so they stay and try to gain weight. After a hard frost there are no more flowers for them to drink from. We MUST keep out feeders or they will starve. One shrub that blooms in January in the bitter cold is lonicera fragrantissima-winter blooming honeysuckle. It has lots of nectar when nothing else is blooming.
I almost bought (mail order) an abutilon from Almost Eden Nursery, but I talked myself out of placing another mail order since I had already made 7 mail order purchases. And that is besides all my trips to the local nurseries and the seedling nursery in production in my basement, that I started April 1st. My closest friends refer to me as hummer crazy. Even though I put out 2 feeders, I grow so many hummer-friendly plants (about 95% of my garden), the ruby throats don't use the feeders that much. And each year I add more plants (for nectar variety) that won't survive my zone 6a location, so I either have to bring the plant indoors for the winter (running out of room), collect seeds, or take cuttings.
And last year I started planting hummer-friendly wildflowers native to my area, because the more the growers fiddle with the hybrids, the less nectar they produce in the new and improved variety. My hummers won't even go to a Wave Petunia any more, so I quite purchasing them.
The ruby throats show up the very last of March or early April. The earliest I've had a sighting is April 1st. They used to start leaving in late September, but I'm seeing them in October now as our area has really changed from a zone 5b to 6a. I always have my feeders out when they're migrating, just in case there aren't enough flowers blooming to keep them going.
The most I see at one time is 3, rarely 4, so I'm sure we have a few more zooming around the area. This year I witnessed a hummer "hawking" an insect mid-air, just like on the hummingbird dvd a friend gave me.
Thanks for the plant info. I'm always making to do lists for my hummers.
A short update on my vines in shady places: Buds and blooms are finally arriving, but not nearly as many as expected. The good news is the hummers are finding the flowers.
I have tried all that you mentioned except c.schumanii and Chillian glory vine. Here in 8b Salvia indigo spires and cuphea ignea both produce many flowers over the whole summer-fall season. Right now flame acanthus (hardy) is beginning to bloom. I have just planted red yucca-hersperaloe (see photo), which may be hardy for you-a western bloomer. I really hope this works here since it has a long blooming season.
Unfortunately all of these need full sun.
Clerodendron bungii is hardy here. It may work well in your area for hummers and butterflies because your summer mid day temps are probably cooler than our 100+". It tends to wilt hard after the abusive heat..but springs right back. It is an aggressive plant that runs all over my gardens here. But you could overwinter a pot of it and replant every summer.
What is starting to bloom for you?
Friday 3 hummers (1 male and 2 females) were fighting for dominance of the Cuphea schumanii. This went on for about 15 minutes, with time-outs for nectar energy drinks at the Robert Kemp Canna to keep the skirmish going. Eventually the male won drinking rights. I have been collecting seeds of the C. schumanii and will also take cuttings for next year. I plan on having at least 6 of the plants in 2010. Hands down, it is the most popular plant I have flowering right now. It grows in the wild in a small area of Mexico and has not been hybritized by bontanist yet, so the hummers are getting a rich nectar drink from the flowers, and they feed at the plant for very long periods of time and very frequently. Besides the aforementioned Canna and all the vines posted previously, I have Atom Glads blooming, Cuphea David Verity, Lobelia Cardinalis, Four O'Clock Mirabilis jalapa Marvel of Peru, Silene regia, Cuphea ignea, Crocosmia Lucifer, Zauschneria garrettii Orange Carpet, Penstemon Barbatus Cocciineus Jingle Bells, Penstemon cobaea, Tithonia rotundifolia Red Torch Mexican Sunflower, Torenia, various Fuchsias (trailing and uprights), Begonia boliviensis Bonfire, different varities of Honeysuckle, different varities of Mimulus, Salvia Coral Nymph, Salvia coccinea Texas Sage, Salvia guaranitica, Buddleja davidii Adonis Blue, Snapdragons, Dicliptera suberecta, Salvia splendens Blaze of Fire, Malvaviscus arboreus var. drimmondii Turks Cap, Spigelia marilandica, Russelia equisetiformis, Ruellia humilis, Pardon Me Day Lilies, several different Agastache, Impatiens balsamina, several different Nasturtium, Manettia cordifilia, Maltese Cross, Liatris, Justicia carnea, Justicia brandegeana, New Guinea Impatiens, Clerodendrum thomsoniae, Platycodon grandiflorus Astra Blue, Malva alcea, and a couple different Calibrachoa. I can not go outside, or look out a window, without seeing hummers zooming around some flower. I think they like the variety.
The Gladiolus oppositiflorus v. salmoneus just finished blooming plus a domesticated Glad, the Canna Indica will be sending up flower stalks any day now, am waiting on the Lobelia Tupa (late planting) and the Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii to kick it into high gear (new plantings this year), and started my Standing Cypress and Nicotiana seeds late, so I have a couple more weeks before they will start producing. Earlier this year 3 different weigela were blooming, plus Tritoma, Stachys Coccinea, Dicentra, Silene Virginica, Geranium maculatum, and Aquilegia canadensis. And some new plants added were a couple different Salvia greggi and a Salvia azure, Chelone obliqua, and from seed 2 different Gentian and Heuchera. I had a Monarda fistulosa Wild Bee Balm I finally got rid of after blooming; even in full sun it still mildews and will affect any plants it touches. I have 2 Justicia fulvicoma the hummers will not touch, which is discouraging. I have a small Clematis Tex I am trying; hoping for blooms next year. Plus, I have various grasses and other plants not hummer attractors that I just like, plus Cacti and Succulents, and 4 vegetable beds. I water every other morning and it takes me 2 hours. And I am sure I forgot some plant 'cause I have way too many!
I live in zone 6a (formerly 5b) and every year I try some zone 7 plants (sometimes zone 8) to see if they will survive here. I collect seeds and for the first time this year I am going to take cuttings. Some tropicals I bring inside, some I don't because I don't have any more room!
What a list!!! That is quite an effort. Fantastic!
I found this on google. You may enjoy it.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pbase.com/budohio/image/103835659.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.network54.com/Forum/439743/thread/1222720936/last-1222954485/Cuphea%2B%27Schumannii%27%2B%26amp%253B%2B%27David%2BVerity%27&usg=__tN-gWa8u86eSJ-1185bykOUy6Jo=&h=640&w=800&sz=67&hl=en&start=2&tbnid=QpBUrWEz1xahGM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCuphea%2Bschumannii%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX
I am getting my Justicias confused. The hummers love Justicia fulvicoma Mexican Plume, but are bypassing the Justicia carnea Brazilian Plume. I like the look of the J. carnea, but if the hummers don't then I usually don't repeat the plant and use the pots for something they will like. Trial and error...
Flicker: Thank you for the link. Fantastic pics! I have taken pictures of a female at the Cuphea schumanii, but they are not very good because I cannot figure out how to change the shutter speed of the camera. I get more blur than clear details. And I agree with the responders in that forum: TAKE CUTTINGS. I'm doing that with the Cuphea David Verity and the C. schumanii. The David Verity gets almost as much hummer attention. It is potted and is big and bushy and doesn't need any support, but the schumanii is tall and leggy and I have a support ring around it and some limbs staked, otherwise we wouldn't be able to move past it to step off the patio. Both plants need to be placed where they have a 360 approach, and not pushed up against another pot, object or structure. But I do like having both Cupheas near the house so I can watch all the action through the windows!
Here's a picture of the Trumpet Vine in the shade garden here in Zone 4--it's true name wasn't included in the info supplied by the previous owners of our home, but the hummingbirds love its flowers. I'm sure others will be able to identify it--I'm just a beginner gardener!
Hummer girl, if you are having such a difficult time with the sun, why not go ahead and put up a few more feeders. The plants are wonderful, but it seems to me that you are working so hard.
I have 4 feeders out, counting all in the front and back of the house, and I had what appeared to be 6 hummers. Most I had seen was 5 at one time. That is until a couple of days ago!! All of a sudden, it was like the babies left the nest and I had 3 tiny ones that acted and looked like sibblings. I realize that would probably be a record for one if they were all from the same nest, but they all showed up at once, same species, same size, and playing like little kids. They were so fun to watch.
My feeders started going down twice as fast. I have mostly petunias, fuchsias, monardas, sedums, butterfly bush, Hydrangeas (which I don't know if they like or not), and many others. Too hot to think right now. It has finally warmed up and is running in the mid to high 90s.
Anyway, it wouoldn't hurt to put out a couple more feeders. They are in our areas such a short time that we need to enjoy them as long as we can.
BTW, where do they go in the winter?
Jeanette
Jeanette,
Hummers migrate to Mexico and even farther south where there are blooming flowers during our winter. Those hummers that are too light weight to make the long migration stay along the Gulf coast all winter. Once a hard frost has occurred there are no more blooms for them to feed on. For this reason I always keep feeders out all year long. Without feeders these birds would starve or freeze. One Christmas we had snow. I was feeding a black chinned male who was blowing around in the wind. I hung feeders in the den and opened the sliding glass doors wide. He immediately flew to the feeders. I closed the doors and kept him inside for several days. I hung coat hangers from the ceiling vents for perches. Once the weather warmed up, we released him....never to see him again!!
Johanna, Louisiana
handlsdatter
This is your vine---a great plant!!!
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/89046/
I looked at the 2 nurseries that plantfiles said had it for sale. They were pretty expensive to ship. So, I looked closer to home and they said it was a hardiness zone 6. But, even tho they were in the same state, the shipping and tax would have cost me more than the plant.
Guess we need to find a LOCAL nursery.
Coral honeysuckle is native to the southeastern states, though I have never seen it in the wild. Check native plant nurseries, too. But remember, just like most other blooming plants, more sun = more flowers.
Thanks, Flicker--it clearly is a Trumpet Honeysuckle--and it's doing great in Zone 4.
Hummer girl: I have seen Lonicera sempervirens growing naturally from Pennsylvania to Florida and west down into New Mexico. Typically, the plants loosely entwine small trees. Many species of hummingbirds love the native fluorescent red or orange tubular flowers. The yellow cultivar is infrequently found in nurseries and that's fine because my hummers ignored it. Regional preferences for the yellow may occur. This plant grows well in full sun or deep shade. Extent of growth is always a function of sunlight. If you plant one or more, I suggest that you also build or purchase a trellis to support vertical growth. You can't go wrong with this plant. It is very cold tolerant, so it should do well in your growing zone. Bloom cycle in Va. is May - frost.
I have found by trial and error that the best plants to purchase are the ones found growing naturally along the hummingbird migration route. Yes there are literally hundreds of flowers that a hummingbird will stick his beak into. However, return visits are few if the flower doesn't provide abundant nectar flow and harbor numerous small insects and spiders. If your nursery salesman smiles when you leave his business with a truck load of flowers that appeal to you, but not the hummer, you lose. Often the salesmen do not have the knowledge to advise their customers.
For the past 25 - 30 years, migration route flowers have been planted around my home. Additionally, 15 -20 30+ oz. feeders provide supplemental energy during the peak of the population spikes. When female hummingbirds are on the nest in the spring, only a few small 2 - 4 oz feeders are used. Frequently visitors come to our home, from June through the 3rd week in August, to observe the hummers feeding. They express astonishment at the swarming birds, which typically number well over 100. You don't get this high density of hummingbirds overnight. But, anyone can achieve the same results, if you commit to a simple plan and do it. A beautiful color shot of the L.s (Locally, we call it coral honeysuckle) can be found on P.46 & 47 of a new book: HUMMINGBIRDS AND FLOWERS THEY LOVE. Several sources are included.
Hbjoe
HBjoe,
Great info. Thanks. Are all of your hummers rubythroats? I don't suppose western species ever venture that far east.
Johanna
HBJoe: which migration route flowers do you have planted? I have 3 different varities of Honeysuckle planted, the newest under the west-facing eaves will be replanted in September where it will get full sun and will bloom prolifically from spring to fall; it blooms on new wood so all I have to do is deadhead and lightly prune to keep the flowers coming. Last year I started adding native wildflowers that are hummer friendly to the garden mix, and this year I have seen a lot of 'hawking' of insects by the females patrolling my yard.
Now this is a personal preference, but I would rather provide an overabundant variety of nectar rich flowers hummers visit, than put out half a dozen feeders. Like I mentioned before, I put out 2 feeders and the hummers use them, but taking a drink at the feeder is like having a sweet tea everytime you get thirsty, whereas, bloom hopping is like sipping mocha latte here, Pepsi there, lemonade over there, 7-Up trailing here...
My shady vines are blooming, but I think one of the problems was I got the seeds out later than I usually do. May was cool and very wet, and building a new raised bed put me almost a month behind schedule with my planting. And one of my feeders is under the west-side eaves near the trellises, so the hummers don't have to go far if there aren't enough blooms to probe.
And even though it takes me 2 hours to water, I enjoy the time spent. I check out all the plants, pull weeds if needed, pinch dead blooms, see what needs staking, have a lot of hummer close encounters. I water in the early morning when the interstates are lined with rush hour traffic, and the quietness of my yard is only broken by the buzzing of bees, chirping birds, and the sonic beat of hummer wings near my ear. I enjoy all the time and energy it takes to create a hummingbird haven. And every year I make changes. And every year I spend a lot of hours reading and researching and looking for just the right plants to make it better.
This morning after reading the DG newsletter, an idea has wormed its way into my head: a rock garden bed that includes Redflower False Yucca Hesperaloe parviflora and other to-be-announced-plants.
Has anyone out there done a hummer-friendly rock garden?
Good afternoon, Flicker!
Ruby-throats are the name of the game during the breeding season. However, during the winter other species do spend the winter. We recently enjoyed a Rufus for two winters. My grand-kids had the opportunity to observe the banding process during the second year the bird was with us. They became totally enchanted. The littlest one, nicknamed "Tater-Bug" (barely age six), had the opportunity to release the bird. You can't imagine how the experience changed him.
Last winter, we were all so disappointed that "our" Rufus did not return. But we did have two Calliopes show up at almost the same time in late September. That mellowed the disappointment somewhat. One was an adult male and the other was either a first year or female. Both were constantly tormented by the much larger Ruby-throats. Efforts to contact several banders proved unsuccessful. One bird left after three days, the male endured the harassment for 5 days before he too moved on. I believe there are far more winter hummingbirds that we expect. People don't see them because they have been conditioned by a myth to take all their feeders down and don't continue to look for birds. We keep two feeders hanging all year long and have been rewarded a number of times. Many others have learned to keep the feeders hanging.
Bob Sargent, internationally known for his work with hummingbird migration, tells us that these western birds are showing up with increased frequency, particularly in the South-eastern states. Some time ago, these birds had an ancestor who had a mutation in their guidance system. The progeny of that bird carried and spread the same gene. As small populations of these birds migrate, they become established in completely new areas. Evidence from banding records indicate that many of these birds return year after year. One day in the near future, we will no longer refer to winter hummers as "vagrants." They will be known as "non-tropical migrants."
Howdy again, Hummer girl !
You have some interesting ideas and apparently, vastly more energy than I for preparing your hummer banquet. But, hummingbirds and flowers are a renewable blessing that unites many different personalities. I share a few thoughts below.
Every year, I leave the pastoral hills of Southern Va. to enjoy hiking through the rugged canyons of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. The focus is upon ruins of ancient people, their enigmatic rock art, hummingbirds and hummingbird plants. The profound silence of canyon experience offers a closeness with nature that is beyond what most easterners can imagine in their wildest dreams. One quickly learns that the sea of desert sand and twisted rock formations are not dead. They harbor a vast profusion of life and color, from which we can learn, if we have patience to observe.
A great deal of time is spent photographing each area of interest. When I observe frequent visits to a particular plant by hummingbirds, I make notes to accompany photos and frequently use a local botanical field guide to key out the plant. Later, local nurseries are visited to see if the plant is commercially available. If the occasion allows, I may select a few seed pods and attempt to germinate the plant at home.
All of the desert South-west is a gigantic "rock garden." Your Red-Yucca is but one of hundreds, if not thousands of hot hummer plants. Many of these plants have adapted to survive in a bare rock niche with no more than infrequent sprinkles afforded by seasonal monsoons, but they can't survive the high humidity of eastern zones. My hummingbird gardens at home are botanical labs to test invivo survivability of each plant. One of the greatest pleasures is continuous learning.
Check out my new thread (SUPER PLANTS for hummers). I am playing a game that will slowly reveal some of the plants I use. Meanwhile, I suggest everyone catch a flight to Phoenix, visit world class arboretums around Phoenix. tour the extensive Sonaran Desert Museum in Tucson and spend a few days in Madera Canyon. You will return home with a changed perspective and much increased knowledge of plants which attract hummers.