NATURESCAPE VISTORS - and some of their favorite Plants.

(Scroll down to See Pictures of some Butterfly and Hummingbird plants, gardens and garden visitors at bottom of page)

Planting to Attract Hummingbirds

By  Carol Whitaker, The Pink Shovel or “Pinkie”

Every fall as the weather begins to cool the beautiful Ruby-throated Hummingbirds begin to make their stunning appearances in search of shelter and food sources in our south Florida landscapes.

A diminutive three and a half inches in size, the males of the species are the most beautiful with their iridescent ruby colored throats. Both females and males are a metallic green with white breast.

Though hummingbird feeders are a popular item, I choose not to use them because they can be dangerous. When the sugar water used in feeders is left too long and stagnates in our warm temperatures, the water sours. When hummingbirds feed from soured water feeders they are susceptible to contracting a potentially fatal disease of the tongue caused by the soured water. I’d rather not be unsure about the state of my feeder nectar so I offer up natural nectars to the visiting wonders whose powers of flight I find mesmerizing.

Not only can Hummers fly backwards, but they can also hover in one spot.

To get my seasonal fix and catch a glimpse of these tiny creatures, I plant for them in the  landscape. Planted in protected areas of my own garden, I can view from the hummers from my favorite window vistas, and my back porch. I offer up a preponderance of some of the hummingbirds’ favorite nectar plants which bloom throughout their season here.

When choosing plants for hummingbirds, it is important to keep in mind that the plants which bloom in the fall, winter and early spring are the one's that will serve the nectar needs of these mysterious, elegant miniature birds.

It is also important to remember not to use pesticides on your nectar plants. If you absolutely must, cut off the blooms so the Hummers aren’t poisoned.

Hummingbirds fly at about 12 feet where they can easily survey the landscape in search of nectar. They are particularly attracted to plants with tubular shaped red, purple and blue flowers. A couple of well placed plants which offer nectar to the hummingbird, and bloom when they are here, are enough to get them to visit your landscape.

One great option to plant for hummingbirds is Firespike, which has showy red blooms and performs best in a rich soil amended with composted animal manure. A very versatile shrub, it can be planted in full sun or shade and grows to about 6 feet tall or more in a well cultivated garden. 

Another great plant which the hummingbirds are highly attracted to is Cape Honeysuckle. Get the orange bloomer. It can tolerate our poor soils, but really shows off in a richer loamy amended soil. The plant can be grown as a shrub which will grow to fifteen feet, or as a vine or espalier against a wall. It requires full sun to bloom well and is a reliable winter bloomer.

Trumpet creeper, a stunning orange blooming vine is a great choice for a fence or trellis.

The various Porterweeds are also great plants to provide for hummingbirds. However they don’t bloom well when it gets cold if you don’t keep them watered well. Hand watering them well every couple of days during the hummingbird’s season will keep them blooming dependably throughout the colder days. Porterweed can be found with pink, purple, red and blue blooms. The blue one can be weedy as it tends to self sew reliably. They reach three to five feet in height. They have no special soil requirements. They require full sun to thrive.

The African Tulip tree which is a fast grower and blooms during the hummingbird’s season is a great choice. It’s got deep Orange flowers which can be seen for miles by the tiny birds.

The Hong Kong Orchid tree also comes in some hummingbird friendly colors, such as the purple bloomers. There are a lot of varieties of orchid trees and shrubs available.

One of my all time favorite plants in bloom right now are the various Calliandras, also known as Powder Puffs. The varieties available consist of shrubs and trees, which grow to fifteen feet, or dwarfs which only grow to three to five feet. The red bloomers are great for a lot of winter color to catch the Hummers’ eye.

Constantly in motion, Hummers can be difficult to spot. Because of their small size, their rapid movement and their subtle twittering squeaks, hummingbirds are easy to miss. The best way to catch a glimpse of these natural treasures is to be watchful at dusk and dawn. I sit in front of the flowering vista from my kitchen window with my coffee early mornings in winter awaiting their brilliant presence.

Photo below is of South Florida winter resident, Ruby throated hummingbird, taking nectar from Firespike


Butterfly taking nectar from Salvia:


Great Host Vine for Pipe Vine Swallowtail Butterfly.


Butterfly taking nectar from Salvia:


Butterfly laying eggs on Milkweed:


Florida Native Tickseed:


Below another fabulous drought tolerant Salvia loved by butterflies:


Photo below is of great winter hummingbird garden with Firespike and Powder Puffs. Native Mimosa plants  create the bottom layer ground covers.


Some more Naturescape Visitors Below: Butterfly larvae before the chrysalis is formed.


Below: Native Zebra Longwing Butterfly is provided for by this native Firebush.


Below: A natural predator of mosquitoes, the dragonfly perches in the garden. No poisons are used in this landscape so that desirable insects, birds and butterflies will share the garden.


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