Hummingbird Gardening

Hummingbird Plants:

Buddleias (8 varieties)

Buddleias will grow to 14 feet in time, normally to 6 feet within their first 2 years of growth. They produce flowers on new growth, so a hard pruning back will not hinder flower production. In order to keep the plants from becomming 'spraggly', prune back to a framework of strong branches in late winter. Plant buddlias in full sun, and water well in the first year to produce strong roots. Once established, buddleias are very drought-tolerant, and produce a plethora of sweet-smelling flowers from spring to fall. Cut the flowers for use in bouquets to encourage reblooming. Additionally, buddleias attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

 

Butterfly Weed (2 varieties)

Asclepias tuberosa (Asclepiadaceae)
An extremely hardy, long-lived perennial native to North America. The magnificent bright orange flowers are concentrated in compact clusters at the top of branching stems. The flowers produce a large quantity of nectar which attracts butterflies throughout the growing season. Requires a very well-drained sandy or gravelly soil in full sun. Butterfly Weed may take up to two years to become established from seed. The seeds may take 30-90 days to germinate and germinate best when the temperature is around 75 degrees. Sow the seeds 1/16 inch deep. Flowers will bloom from June through September. The plant produces a very deep taproot thereby making transplanting difficult. It is a very dependable plant once established.

 

Cape Honeysuckle

Tecomaria capensis (Tecoma capensis) syn.
At maturity this shrub can be as tall as 22 feet and as wide as 10 feet. If pruned into a shrub, though, it will be about 6-8 feet tall. It's an evergreen vine/shrub which blooms in the fall and winter with tubular orangish red or red blooms about 2 inches long. It likes full sun to light shade, regular water, and well-drained soil. It should be protected from the wind. A little organic matter occasionally is very beneficial. It will root wherever the branches touch the ground.

 

Cats' Whiskers (2 varieties)

These plants are frost-tender and like a light fertile soil in a warm dry location. They do best when given plenty of room to spread. They can be propagated from seed lightly covered and will germinate in 14 days. In many cultures, the boiled leaves of cat's whiskers are regarded as a medicinal meal. Sap from the leaves is used as an analgesic, particularly for headaches and earaches and the leaves also have anti-inflammatory properties. A decoction or infusion of boiled leaves and/or roots is administered to facilitate childbirth, treat stomach-ache, constipation, conjunctivitis or thread-worm infection. The whole plant is used to treat scorpion stings and snake bites. Plants of cat's whiskers also have insecticidal and repellent characteristics.

 

Clerodendron, Red - Bleeding Heart

This plant likes partial shade and is an evergreen vine which may grow to 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide. It like moderate to regular water and good drainage. Keep it drier in the winter. It can be propagated by seed in spring, layering, or cuttings in spring/summer. It's also called Glory Bower, and its flowers are cream and red.

 

Coral Bean

The coral bean plant (Erythrina herbacea) has a wonderful character: long slender bright red flowers which attract hummingbirds during their spring and fall migrations; then its pods turn into lumpy strings of beads that dangle between the leaves. This decidous perennial blooms in the summer, grows in all soils and is very hardy. It likes full sun or light shade and prefers moist well-drained soil. It reaches a height of 3-6 feet. The stems, leaves and seeds contain toxins but some substances are used medicinally as a muscle relaxant.

 

Coral Honeysuckle

Lonicera sempervirens
Coral honeysuckle is a twining or trailing woody vine with smooth leaves which are 1"-3" long and arranged opposite each other along the stem. The flowers are tube-shaped, about 2" long, coral red or bright orange on the outside and yellow on the inside. The fruits are orange red berries, about a quarter inch in diameter. It thrives in containers or in the garden and is easy to grow. Coral honeysuckle will not spread out of control like Japanese honeysuckle. Here in Texas it grows wild in open woodlands and along roadsides and fence rows. Songbirds like the juicy fruits it provides. It is usually propagated by seed, prefers full sun, and is drought tolerant. Do not over-fertilize it; it may be pruned back in the winter to promote flowering.