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Flowers, Shrubs, Vines and Trees That Will Attract Hummingbirds
The following is a list of flowers, shrubs, vines, and trees that hummingbirds
are attracted to. Note: none of these need to be red in color, although the color red is attractive to hummingbirds. If in doubt as to whether any of the following will flourish in your area, please check with your local nursery.
Flowers
Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
Lantana Lantana camara
Columbine Aguilegia spp.
Fuchsias Fuchsia spp.
Impatiens Impatiens spp.
Coral-Bells Heuchera sanguinea
Hollyhocks Althea spp.
Penstemen Penstemen spp.
Petunia Petunia spp.
Flowering Tobacco Nicotania alata
Geranium Pelargonium spp.
Begonia Begonia spp.
Shrubs
Azaleas Rhododendron spp.
Butterfly Bush Buddleia davidii
Flowering Quince Chaenomeles japonica
Honeysuckle Lonicera spp.
Weigela Weigela spp.
Trees
Flowering Crab Malus spp.
Tulip Poplar Liriodendron Tulipifera
Locust Robinia
Eucalyptus Eucalyptus spp.
Vines
Honeysuckle Lonicera heckrottii
Morning Glory Ipomea ssp.
Trumpet Creeper Campsis radicans
Trumpet Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens
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Attracting Hummingbirds
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Hummingbird feeders impose a responsibility on the provider. To be safe,
they must be clean, and that is a challenge in hot weather. The solution should be changed at least every other day, even if no hummingbirds are using it, so that it doesn't ferment or get moldy. Once a week the feeder must be washed with vinegar and water or a 10% chlorine solution and scrubbed with a baby-bottle brush. (Most experts advise against using soap or detergent.)
If all this is too much trouble, just plant the flowers and skip the artificial
feeders. You'll still attract hummingbirds, and you won't be harming them with unsanitary feeders.
Here's the recipe for hummingbird syrup. Boil four cups of water and stir in
one cup of white sugar. Do not use honey, which can cause a fatal fungal infection on the birds' tongues. Do not add food coloring to the solution. The red color on the feeder is sufficient. You can store the excess syrup in the refrigerator for a week or two.
Hang the feeder where you can see it from a window. If ants discover the
feeder, discourage them by applying petroleum jelly to the wire that suspends the feeder. If bees begin to dominate, purchase a hummingbird feeder that comes with bee guards.
Another thing that hummingbirds love is dripping water. These tiny, aerial
birds do not wade in a splash in a bird bath like a robin. Their taste is more delicate. They love dripping water. Slow drip sprinklers would work well for this purpose. |
