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GARDENING
I’ve been planting various native flowers and some annuals specifically to see which attract the most hummingbirds. Obedient plant and cardinal flower have been native flower hits with the birds. For annuals, red sages have proven very attractive. Be careful, though, if you buy red sage from a garden store, because in my experience the ordinary, geometrically-shaped red salvia is not the flower hummingbirds visit. Check out Horticulture Magazine’s list of sages (aka ‘salvias’) that attract hummingbirds here. Some are even purple!
About the Bird
On the East Coast, ruby-throated hummingbirds are summer residents having spent the winter in Mexico and Central America. On the West Coast and Southwest there are more hummingbird species some of which do not migrate. Hummingbirds are jewel-colored, incredibly fast flying pollinators. They drink mainly from tubular shaped flowers and also get protein from eating small insects.
How to Attract Hummingbirds
1. Plant tubular flowers
Flowers must be tubular in shape and provide enough nectar to make it desirable for a hummingbird to visit. Bright reds and oranges seem to be the most attractive, but yellows and purples are good, too. Color is…
