I noticed that a lot of flowers that are readily advertised as hummingbird friendly are ignored by the hummingbirds in my area. Even the plants recommended by the hummingbird experts are unpopular. This includes coreopsis, petunias, phlox, zinnias, salvia splendens, and a few others whose names escapes me for the moment. I figure hummingbirds, like humans, have different likes and dislikes. But, I was curious to know what's popular among hummingbirds around your parts. Even though fernleaf lavender is never discerned as hummingbird friendly, it's the plant most favored by the hummingbirds. The flowers are so tiny, I don't see how there's a decent amount of nectar in it. I guess they reason that a small taste of something savory takes precedence over drinking something ordinary in large amounts. But, to give a list of other flowers that are popular:
orange hummingbird mint
agastache rupestris
stachys coccinea
cigar plant
cuphea (firefly)
coral honeysuckle
cape fuchsia
fuchsia gartenmeister
various penstemons
lily of the nile
salvia blue
salvia greggii
apple and lemon tree
I'm trying to create a makeshift hummingbird garden so I'm interested in hearing empirical evidence of what's popular among the birds. Thanks.
What's popular among the hbirds in your area?
We have several hummingbirds who love our Bougainvillea, which surprised me. I didn't even know its flowers had nectar. They also visit the salvias and penstemons. I'm trying to make our yard hummingbird friendly.
Greenlife, I agree about Salvia splendens. My sunbirds (the Old World nector drinking/hovering equivalent to the New World Hummers) ignore it completely. I think it's just too small compared to the other Salvias which add some degree of safety by being higher up off the ground (and therefore harder for cats and other predators to creep up on the tiny birds while they get at the nectar). They also ignore all of the many Petunias I put in for the hummingbird moths. The Sunbirds visit my tallest Salvias more than anything else in the garden. The things they visit most often are (in order of preference (i.e. in order of which ones they visit most often):
-Salvia fulgens (actually this is still not a solid ID, just the one the garden center gives as it's name....and I haven't found anything that looks better despite having my reservations about this matching an S. fulgens ID)
-Salvia 'Indigo Spires'
-Salvia leucantha
-Salvia guaranitica 'Costa Rica Blue'
-all the various Citrus (lemon, lime, clemantine, grapefruit, limquat and kumquat....the latter not really a Citrus, but treated the same by the Sunbirds and myself ;-)
-Tecoma alata
-Cuphea llavea (Batface Cuphea)
-Vitex trifolium 'Purpurea' (Arabian Lilac)
-Acmena smithii (Lillypilly)
-Pyrostegia venusta (winter flowering in my climate)
There's another plant I would like to add to the above list next to Cuphea llavea in popularity, but I can't remember it's name so I'll post a pic of it instead :-)
I also see them visiting my neighbor's apple tree a lot.
They visit other things in the garden, but the above list is what they prefer.
-Julie
My Dr. Livingston Pelargonium, ginger lily, and nasdturtiums seem to be the popular crowd with the HBs.
What about Hibiscus? Our hummers in CA always loved the Hibiscus...here, too, by the way...
I live in the suburbs of Detroit and I very seldom see a hummer. But this past week, while sitting on my back porch, a hummer wizzed by me and starting feasting on my red columbine. I have all the other colors of coumbine but she was just interested in the red.
Cindy
They love my fuschia in a hanging basket.
I've been told salvia elegans (pineapple sage) is supposed to be very inviting to hummers. I've found one and will let you know how they liked it. It's supposed to be a late summer bloomer. Until then, I'll enjoy the fragrance of its leaves.
Sylvi74, I guess I may go out and by a Fuschia. I love them anyway. Thanks for the tip.
Cindy
msmench-You're right about the bougainvillea...I forgot to include that. They seem to love the flowers.
salvia_lover-I never even thought of height as an issue but now that you've mentioned it, the hummingbirds rarely go to flowers low to the ground. BTW, I really appreciate you taking the time to list your flowers in order of preference. That was very thoughtful and I'm adding them to the list of plants to buy. The flower in the photo is beautiful and it sure looks hummingbird friendly but I have no idea what it is.
naien-nasturtium? I'm going to try experimenting w/ that just as soon as I see one in the nursery.
tabasco-You know, I keep reading that hibiscus are popular among hummingbirds but the ones in my area go unnoticed. I wonder why.
hemlady-I'm sure the hummingbird has taken a mental note of your columbines and will visit regularly. I forgot to include columbines in my list. In the winter, the hummingbirds esp. appreciated them being in bloom.
sylvi74-I also have the fuchsia that's meant for hanging baskets but for some reason, they're not visited too often.
jolene-I'm always looking to add salvias to my garden. I can never have enough. Pineapple sage...sounds like something that smells nice. I'm going to look that up right now.
Thanks everyone for your replies. They were all very helpful.
This message was edited Jun 17, 2005 11:37 PM
The pineapple sage is always a big hit with the hummers in my yard. They also love the Hyacinth bean vines, Mexican Bush sage, red salvias, red cypress vine, and crossvine.
I have a lot of Cedar Sage, which is a native plant and is supposed to be a hummer attraction, but I've wondered about it because it is a low growing plant. I'm still waiting for my yearly visitors, so I don't know about it yet.
How about red Impatiens?
I have been making hanging baskets of Super Elfin Red impatiens for a lady for a number of years. She has an open porch on the north side or her house. She hangs them under the eves. Hummingbirds come to the flowers even when the people are sitting almost under the baskets.
One year someone gave her a Impatiens bowl, she sat in on the middle of the table on the porch. Hummingbirds visited even while people were sitting at the table for a meal.
Most any flower that is red & tubular should attract them.
Bernie
Pineapple sage here too! Where I live it blooms late summer and even into fall & winter. The hummers here prefer it over a feeder I put out. They go for some nicotiana varieties I have too, the definitely the sage.
I've noticed a few hb's hitting my abutilon. I have 2...Dennis and a red/yellow abutilon. I have one hummer that chases others away from it. But I haven't seen him lately. They love my maraschino salvia...and the 'forest fire' salvia. I have them located at different ends of my yard. I often see hummers feeding from them. They also like my heuchera's....but their favorite is the feeder. They go to the feeder first then around to the other flowers then back to the feeder and off they go.
the type of hummingbird feeder I use is Hummzinger. I bought them online. Tried to find the cheapest of the stores. They average about $15 for the small 8 oz which I have...I do have the big 16oz one..but because I have a couple of feeders around the yard...it's wasted more than used so I'm sticking with the small 8oz. I love these feeders...very very easy to clean and fill. They're not messy and they're also easy to hang. (sounds like an advertisement) LOL
I know I keep asking around about this on other threads, but, are any of your HBs attracted to Daylilies?
I read somewhere that daylilies are in the top ten of HB attractors, and from my experience I find that hard to believe, but...maybe it's true...
I'm thinking that the writer was mainly referring to HBs found out West (not Ruby-throateds found in the East.). I've planted some DLs with red 'eyes' though, and I'm watching them for some HB visitors... might be a long wait! t.
I have no idea. I didn't plant daylillies...as long as they are nectar producing flowers I don't see why they wouldn't be a hb attracter. But then again...I'm am by no means an expert. Only know what I see...LOL I heard canna's were a big attracter for hummers...I have a few planted in a huge window box type planter. Had a hard time moving them one year...so now I'm keeping them contained for now. They're doing great...just curious to see if the hummers around here like them.
The hummers here like my foxglove, and mullens, and amost anything thats in a basket, I agree that they seem to like the taller plants and hanging baskets.
Viv
The two natural things "my" h'birds love the best are the red cypress vine and the pink honeysuckle. Later in the summer they go crazy for the pineapple sage (as do I). It's loaded with red flowers that last until frost and the birds are gone by then. I have lots of different daylilies and I have never seen the birds go near them. I have butterfly bushes, too, but the birds ignore them also.
T, I have 5 large clumps of daylilies just covered in flowers....and I've never once seen Sunbird (or even butterfly for that matter) visit any of them.
-Julie
We have some ornamental onions - Allium giganteum I think - with large balls of lavender-blue blooms. I was surprised to see a female Rubythroat going from one plant to another, sipping from those tiny blooms! I also saw her (or another female) visiting my lavender blooms - I had no idea they would be interested in those. I have lots of red salvia and red petunias - I have not seen the hummers on those, but maybe they serve to "bring them in" and then they find something they like better. But what they seem to like best is the feeders.
Lismar is right . I live a few miles away and Salvia, Abutilon , and Honeysuckle(Gold flame and Dropmore Scarlet) grab their attention. Hummers like all throat-shaped flowers . If Carpenter Bees like it usually so do the hummers. Fuchsias are good but I can't keep them living in the heat here. Cardinal climbers (Morning Glorys) That's a fav too-Rich This is Queenie on Dropmore Scarlet Honeysuckle from just before dark tonight.
