Firebush

[SubTropicRay]

Is anyone in Florida successfully attracting hummingbirds with native Firebush (Hamelia patens). I saw a Ruby Throated Hummingbird in the garden for the first time and would like to have it stick around. From what I've read, this is their preferred local flower.

Thanks in advance,

Ray

[edbrown_III]

I have lots of it got it from Jerry Hooper--- it attracts them but they also like the shrimp plant and Hibiscus moschetus (big red flwoers)

Best regards

Ed

[Eric in Orlando]

Hamelia patens is one of the best as is Odontonema cuspidatum (strictum), Justicia leonardii and J. spicigera.

The absolute best is Pavonia bahamensis. Hard to believe as the flower is not showy, about the size of your thumbnail and greenish-yellow. But they go apestuff over the flowers

[SubTropicRay]

Eric, as tiny as these birds are, the flowers may look huge to them. In doing more research, I've found they're are also attracted to red Salvia coccinea which also has a tiny flower

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

I have firebush popping up as volunteers all over my place. The problem is, I never checked or noticed hummers in them.

I have heard that Cape Honeysuckle Tecomaria capensis attracts hummers like crazy, although it is not a native. The related Crossvine, Bignonia capreolata, is also a good hummer attractant and IS a native.

There is a large Coco Plum, Chrysobalanus icaco, that I can see from my window at work, It attracts birds all day long and I even see hummers in it occasionally, although I never heard of it being especially attractive to them.

[BS Man about Palms]

Was thinking something else entirely different...

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

You dirty, dirty boy.

[Darkman]

They love my shrimp plant and red salvia. The shrimp plants blooms continuously in my 8b garden.

[Eric in Orlando]

other good hummingbird plants;

Aloe maculata- Soap Aloe

Bauhinia x blakeana- Hong Kong Orchid Tree

Calliandra surinamensis- Pink Powderpuff

Callistemon citrinus- Lemon Bottlebrush

Callistemon viminalis- Weeping Bottlebrush

Erythrina herbacea- Coralbean

Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon'

Hamelia cuprea- Bahama Firebush

Lonicera sempervirens- Coral Honeysuckle

Pyrostegia venusta- Flame Vine

Russelia equisetiformis- Firecracker Plant

Salvia miniata- Belize Sage

Tecoma elata

[tank]

Ray,

Firebush is a great hummingbird plant. We have several in the yard. The past few years they have been burnt to the ground during the winter but grow back soon as it warms up.

[tank]

Aloes are great hummingbird plants as well.

[Growler]

Hummingbirds are not common in my area. I have never seen one, and I grow the native firebush plus other plants that attract hummingbirds. These plants attract a lot of butterflies to my garden. Also, a large flock of Black-Hooded Parakeets greet me every morning and every evening. They are noisy, eat my grapefruits, and poop everywhere but they are fun to watch.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Unfortunately, you are only going to get hummers if you have plenty of nectar plants and if you already live in their flight way/migration path. If you don't have both, you won't see them.

My old college instructor said, "you won't get hummingbirds just by planting nectar sources anymore than you would attract freight trains in your backyard by erecting a train crossing."

[Growler]

Unfortunately, you are only going to get hummers if you have plenty of nectar plants and if you already live in their flight way/migration path. If you don't have both, you won't see them.

My old college instructor said, "you won't get hummingbirds just by planting nectar sources anymore than you would attract freight trains in your backyard by erecting a train crossing."

That's what I thought. It's not like out west where they have both migrating and year round species.

[BS Man about Palms]

Unfortunately, you are only going to get hummers if you have plenty of nectar plants and if you already live in their flight way/migration path. If you don't have both, you won't see them.

My old college instructor said, "you won't get hummingbirds just by planting nectar sources anymore than you would attract freight trains in your backyard by erecting a train crossing."

That's what I thought. It's not like out west where they have both migrating and year round species.

I was gonna say, from what I understand, So Cal and Baja is a destination place for hummingbirds. I see them all the time, have been "dive bombed" but never hit.. and of course we saw the two nests at the Hamann tour a few weeks ago.

Our "lure" out here is red sugar water... Although I know people that have had so many they stopped adding the red...they still come.

[SubTropicRay]

Fortunately, they're around as the attached link indicates. Central Florida is a breeding ground and not necessarily a place from where they're migrating. My sighting was on April 2nd.

http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html

[Kailua_Krish]

I see hummers most of the year here in Ocala. The plants that I usually see them on are Althea, bush Allamanda, and Aloe but I think this is mainly because these are the plants that are in a direct line of view from sitting areas in my garden. Are there more than one species of hummingbird in Florida? Its always fun to see them, although when they first fly at you quickly I always think its a giant bee!

-Krishna

[edbrown_III]

I believe there is just the one in Florida but more species in Texas-& west -- I see alot of them on the turks cap hibiscus I have a large sprawling plant --- 25 x 25 feet that is full of blooms in the fall .

Best regards

Ed

[Eric in Orlando]

Just one in Florida, the Ruby Throated

[Eric in Orlando]

I see hummers most of the year here in Ocala. The plants that I usually see them on are Althea, bush Allamanda, and Aloe but I think this is mainly because these are the plants that are in a direct line of view from sitting areas in my garden. Are there more than one species of hummingbird in Florida? Its always fun to see them, although when they first fly at you quickly I always think its a giant bee!

-Krishna

We see them almost all year too. Here at Leu Gardens we have a Bird Garden that has hummingbird feeding plants and other plants that bear fruits/seeds for birds or are thick growing for cover and nesting sites.

Here is one I saw sitting in a nearby tree. It was upset when I was taking photos of the Pavonia bahamensis, as were about a dozen others.

and an injured one I found on a sidewalk

[palmmermaid]

The hummers only nest in the highest elevations in Florida - around the Lake Wales Ridge area. That's because the rest of the peninsula hasn't been above water long enough for evolution to let the birds know it is safe to nest! I love to hear their buzzing in the winter here.