Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Non-traditional hummingbird plants

It is really starting to feel like spring here (until the little blizzard today) and with spring comes the arrival of hummingbirds. In April two really interesting hummingbirds, the Calliope (the smallest hummingbird species in North America) as well as the Rufus (the longest distance migrant of all North American hummingbirds) arrive in our garden. Although the Calliope does not travel as far as the Rufus, which may fly 2,000 miles, both species spend most of the year traveling from their winter locations (as far south as Mexico) to their breeding areas, and that is what brings them to the intermountain west, Montana, and our yard.


Both species follow the Pacific flyway north, following plants as they bloom on the way to their breeding grounds. The timing of the blooms determines the rate at which they migrate, but year after year their returns to a location fall on remarkably similar dates (though getting earlier with climate change). Hummingbirds rely on the presence of these plants and their flowers for survival- they feed on the nectar, and in turn the plants get pollinated.

Many gardeners like to attract hummingbirds to their yards, and why not, they are some of nature’s marvels; them, and my cat, Squeak. Conventionally, many think of hummingbird plants as ones with showy, red, tubular flowers, but that is really not the only case. In fact, many of those flowers are probably not native where you live and may do little to attract hummingbirds to your garden. For example, where I live, hummingbirds arrive in early spring and stay around to nest nearby. The most activity we get is from April- early June and then again when they head back south as the summer ends. When they arrive in early spring they are looking for something to eat. We do set out feeders (see the Calliope on our feeder, above), but it is really the plants that keep them in our yard.

The best way to provide food for hummingbirds and to attract them to your yard is to mimic what is flowering when they arrive. In my area, the arrival of these little travelers coincides with some very non-traditional looking hummingbird plants. However, early spring is crtitical for providing food for hummingbirds. Habitat loss and loss of native plants and the conversion of many of these habitats have reduced their natural foods.
The first to flower here are wax currant (Ribes cereum), serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), golden currant (photo at the top of the post, Ribes aureum), Oregon grape (photo above, Mahonia repens), hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii), and Jacob's ladder (photo below, Polemonium pulcherrimum), and even shrubby penstemon (photo at the bottom of the post, Penstemon fruiticosa). Not coincidentally, these same early flowering plants (wax and golden currant, serviceberry, and hawthorn, in particular) are important to other birds for their early producing fruits. Because they are the first to flower they are the first to fruit. The fruiting is timed to the nutritional needs of many birds nesting and caring for their nestlings.
Although adults will only feed their young nestlings insects and worms, the adults need the nourishment and easy foraging that fruits provide. Thrushes, robins, spotted towhees, northern flickers and the ever more common blue jays will eats golden current berries in our yard. The fruits of the hawthorn never last long on our tree, and the serviceberry fruits are checked daily by many species of birds for their ripeness, and they are devoured as soon as that point is reached.

Understanding the ecology of plants and animals in your area is the key to successfully attracting and providing for the needs of wildlife. For example, you could plant a grouping of firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) in your yard to attract hummingbirds. But if you live where I do, they will flower in the summer, when hummingbirds are long past. Since they are not native, insects that use the plant are not here, and thus, their utility for wildlife is reduced. If you did live in a place, like near a stream, or in the wooded mountains, where hummingbirds are in July, hummingbirds would use that exotic plant, but they would also like use anything that is flowering, including native plants, and the rewards for wildlife by using native plants are far greater. To plant one plant for a single species of bird or butterfly is ineffective. Think of your yard holistically, and provide a diversity of plants and structure and you will be rewarded with a diversity of wildlife visitors.

11 comments:

  1. Hi David, you are so right about planting non-native plants and hoping they will attract the hummingbirds. I have been guilty of this in the past. I do try now to use more things somewhat native to this part of the country in the effort of trying to attract wildlife. All form of flying creatures. Well written.
    -Heather

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  2. We have hummers year round, and I'm actually surprised what they like. Tea tree (is it the insects?) and Camelia are on the list. As is a dark blue Salvia. But I probably have enough REAL food (natives) to make them consider a snack here or there (exotics). Of course their favorite is California Fuchsia, and in late fall, they're fighting all the time even though there's more than enough for everyone...

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  3. What a great wildlife gardening blog!
    The top picture of the Ribes looks like a shrub that had been planted by a previous owner in another garden, not where we live now. Every Spring the scent from that lone plant had friends and neighbors asking what smelled so good. I was never sure of the cultivar but knew it was a ribes. We never saw a hummer visit it's flowers.
    We get most humming bird visits in spring and then again in fall with a few spending the summer. I don't put out feeders for any creature preferring to plant what will feed them.
    Many of the birds we get are fruit or insect eaters. My favorite is a common yellow throat that seems to stop off each year during migrations. I am so proud to have a way station for such a lovely bandit.

    Have you ever checked out Gardening Gone Wild?
    This month the design question is about gardening for wildlife. I think your blog has a lot to offer this topic for those thinking a garden might be too small to attract wildlife and that post about how you started out is very interesting. The idea of making the neighbors feel welcome to explore an area is just great...Gloria from pollinators-welcome

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  4. You're right about timing the blooms. We try to plant a lot of early blooming natives, especially ribes and manzanitas, for the spring. Our hummingbirds stay around all summer, though, and it feels like in summer we are competing for their attention, and some of the more traditional, non-native hummingbirds plants are their favorites--salvia "hot lips," agastache, lobelia. When we sold off the "hot lips" our regular hummingbird was irritated and we felt obligated to get another to appease.

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  5. Gloria,
    Thank you so much for your comments and for your compliments. I have not checked out Gardening Gone Wild, but I did today really briefly and I was overwhelmed! I have to dedicate some time to browsing that site- it looks like a great one. I will also have to check out your site and spend some time there, too.
    Thanks again,
    David

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  6. Hi David! I'm glad you made it over to Gardening Gone Wild for a visit and left us some links. I'm even more glad that I came over here to return the visit. Your posts are fascinating to read, and your photos are great. I look forward to following your gardening adventures. I may not always comment, but I'll definitely be reading!

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  7. Love your blog. I get tones of hummingbirds but don't put out feeders. I have what looks to be jacob's latter by my window and that must be what's attracting them. A lot of people think they are silent but they make a noise that will literally wake me up in the morning. Their like my version of a rooster. I love them.

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  8. Thanks for your comments. You have a beautful blog, and wonderful fences- I am thinking of building a picket fence one of these days, and now I know who to ask for advice! Thanks again.
    David

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  9. Beautiful blog. Thanks for your expertise and beautiful photos. Any ideas for a native flowering vine that attracts hummers?

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  10. Montana-
    Thanks for your comments and complements. I've seen hummingbirds feed on blue virgin's bower (Clematis colombiana), it is a great plant for a garden, and they are very early to flower (why they are used by hummingbirds). Also, it is possible that hummingbirds may visit a Lonicera ciliata- they have orange, trumpet shaped flowers- but I've never seen them do it.
    Good luck- I hope this is helpful.
    David

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  11. So happy to see someone appreciating one of my favorite natives- Ribes aureum. After our long winters in Wyoming, it is a delight to see it in bloom. I've even taken a few stems indoors to be forced in March. They are lovely, the berries are edible, and the fact that hummingbirds use them is yet another good reason to plant them.

    I tell folks who move here from the east if they like Forsythia, then consider planting Ribes auruem.

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