Hummingbird Plants

Tops at 2019 UGA Trials among Agastache winning the Classic City Award! Buttery yellow 1" long tubular flowers adorn dense 10-12" high spikes atop the medium green fragrant foliage from spring and continuing well into fall. Poquita™ Butter Yellow Dwarf Hummingbird Mint is a hummingbird magnet and the dense compact habit of this Agastache, even more compact than Kudos™ Yellow, lends it to use as a specimen, including in hanging baskets, as well as in mixed containers where you can draw these aerial acrobats in for up close viewing as well as in the garden and landscape. Provide a full to mostly sunny location in a well-drained soil for optimum health and flowering. Periodic removal of spent flower spikes will help to keep the plants looking clean and fresh as well as to make way for new flower spikes. Item# 12120

Orange 1" long tubular flowers adorn dense 10-12" high spikes atop the medium green fragrant foliage from spring and continuing well into fall. Poquita™ Orange Dwarf Hummingbird Mint is excellent for hummingbirds and the dense compact habit of this Agastache, even more compact than Kudos™ Mango, lends it to use as a specimen or in mixed containers where you can draw these aerial acrobats in for up close viewing as well as in the garden and landscape. Provide a full to mostly sunny location in a well-drained soil for optimum health and flowering. Periodic removal of spent flower spikes will help to keep the plants looking clean and fresh as well as to make way for new flower spikes. Image courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc. www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12121

2-3" long, medium pink, slightly flaring tubular flowers are produced in large hanging clusters designed for hummingbird pollination. An unusual color in Iochromas, Pretty in Pink is a prolific flowering selection on a vigorous growing upright to spreading, naturally evergreen tropical shrub. This miniature cousin of the Angel's Trumpet is easily enjoyed as a container plant where not hardy. Provide good drainage and fertile, average moist soil in partial to filtered sun for the best results. Iochroma, Tubeflower, or Mini Angel's Trumpets flower on new growth so keep them growing and healthy for and endless display. Item# 11064

Loads of tall dense spikes of 1" long, lavender-violet, nectar-rich, tubular flowers emerge from slightly darker colored calyxes from late spring or early summer to fall attracting a wide array of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Prince's Plume Hummingbird Mint is a moderately vigorous growing Agastache with a mounding and spreading habit growing to 30" high and wide so be sure to give this flowering machine a little elbow room. Use it en masse in the garden or landscape to provide summer long color in sunny gardens and landscapes or as low maintenance, full sun container specimens to bring the pollinators in close. Provide a full to mostly sunny location with excellent drainage and good air circulation for the best results. Moderately drought resistant once well-established. Deer and rabbit resistant. Photos courtesy of TERRA NOVA® Nurseries, Inc. www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 13583

Widely flaring 2" long light plum colored nectar rich tubular flowers that darken as they age are produced in large clusters from spring to frost or year-round under warm tropical conditions. The Princess Iochroma develops into an upright to spreading exceptionally free-flowering naturally multi-stemmed tropical shrub that is easy to maintain in medium-sized containers or in the garden and landscape where winters are mild. Iochromas are close cousins of the Angel's Trumpets or Brugmansias and the flowers of this hybrid very much resemble their shape only on a much smaller scale. Provide good to average drainage in a fertile soil in a full sun to partly sunny position for optimum health and flowering. Item# 11697

Large, 3" wide deep purplish red trumpet shaped flowers are produced throughout the warmer months of the year to potentially year-round under warm tropical conditions. The Purple Allamanda, we originally thought that this was the dwarf form, is a vigorous growing and very free flowering, naturally evergreen, scandent (or vine-like shrub, rambler, etc.) and can be trained to espelier, trellis, or arbor or periodic pruning will help to keep it semi-shrub-like. Rich green smooth foliage adorns the upright to arching stems on a plant that grows to about 8-12'H and may get larger with age under good conditions. Provide the Purple Alllamanda with a full to partly sunny site in an average moist but never soggy wet, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Where not hardy it can be easily overwintered in a warm sunny window as a container plant. It should make an excellent container specimen that is sure to add a little tropical flair to any sunny setting. Item# 12976

A purple form of the Blue Butterfly Bush, producing large clusters of violet and purple butterfly-shaped flowers beginning in spring and early summer and continuing into fall under good conditions. For years the only cultivar of Blue Butterfly Bush available was 'Ugandense' the common Blue Butterfly Bush, Rotheca myricoides (syn. Clerodendrum myricoides 'Ugandense'), a.k.a. Oxford Blue and Cambridge Blue, this darker purple to violet flowered cultivar was shared with us by plantsman Heidi Sheesley of Treesearch Farms, Inc., Houston, Texas. The specialized butterfly-shaped flowers are pollinated by Bumblebees and Carpenter Bees. The Purple Butterfly Bush can be enjoyed as a colorful container plant or in the garden and landscape where hardy. Item# 11765

The nearly 1" wide creamy white starry spring flowers are streaked with pink and are soon followed by glossy deep purple new growth that matures to deep green. The Purple Glaze® Japanese Anise Shrub, Illicium anisatum 'Murasaki-no-sato', is a shade tolerant medium-sized to large growing evergreen shrub with a slow to medium rate of growth and naturally has an upright to rounded habit. It is somewhat resistant to short periods of drought once well-established and should be grown in a site with good drainage and average moist to moist soils in an area that receives shade during the hottest part of the day, especially in hot summer climates. Anise flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Not a spice plant. Item# 12003

Tall spikes adorned with nearly 1/2" wide, deep velvety purple flowers with a contrasting white eye are produced from spring to frost to potentially year-round and attract a host of pollinators, especially larger bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Purple Porterweed, Stachytarpheta frantzii, is a naturally evergreen, shrubby tropical with a moderate branching habit and is cloaked in glossy deep green foliage. It commonly grows to about 3-4' high and wide by the end of the growing season but can become larger when grown under warm tropical conditions. This Porterweed is small enough to enjoy as a medium-sized container plant or as a colorful addition to a sunny garden or landscape. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, fertile, average to well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 578

Loads of upward facing deep orange-red tubular buds open to show off thier contrasting starry yellow petals in spring atop a neat rounded mound of foliage. Ragin' Cajun Indian Pinks, a Plant Delights introduction that originated near St. Francisville, Louisiana, was selected for its neat and compact rounded habit, high bud count, orange-red flowers, and long flowering season. This is an easy and reliable long-lived clump forming, native perennial that is tolerant of full sun to light or bright shade. It goes fully dormant in winter dying back to near ground level then returning in early spring. Indian Pinks, Spigelia marilandica, will do best in a fertile, acidic, well-drained soil with average moisture. The flowers attract hummingbirds and other long tongued pollinators. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 13100

Rounded clusters of raspberry colored buds open to 2" long tubular, nectar rich, raspberry wine colored flowers in summer. Raspberry Wine Monarda is a disease resistant selection with strongly fragrant, deer and rabbit resistant foliage that can be used to flavor teas. Bee Balm is a clump forming, slowly spreading perennial well suited to moist, well-drained soils in a sunny garden setting whether in the herb garden or in mass as an informal groundcover. Item# 11400

Deep red to near maroon, starry flowers to 2" across are borne in late spring and early summer on this moderately dense naturally rounded evergreen shrub. The Red Star Anise's medium to dark green foliage has a licorice or anise-like scent when crushed. This Louisiana native is a natural component of the understory along drainages and flood zones in the southeastern portion of the US and generally prefers light shade, morning sun, to filtered shade over full sun as well as a moist well-draining acid soil. These plants originated from an eastern Louisiana native population. Not a spice plant. Item# 596

Large clusters of long-lasting, light lavender, mauve, to purple calyxes serve as the backdrop for the contrasting deep red, 1" wide, butterfly shaped flowers that are produced throughout the warmer months of the year, as early as midspring to about mid fall. The Red Bleeding Heart Vine, Clerodendrum x speciosum, is a naturally evergreen, heirloom, twining, tropical climber that is one of the better and more reliable flowering vines for shaded areas, although it can also take *full sun, if acclimated, where it may be even more floriferous, and it attracts butterflies and likely hummingbirds. I have always found it interesting that many of the butterfly and moth pollinated species in the genus Clerodendrum appropriately have butterfly shaped flowers. The colorful bracts have the deepest purple coloration in full to partial sun conditions. Provide the Red Bleeding Heart Vine with a moist to average moist, fertile, average to well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. This is a hybrid of the White Bleeding Heart Vine, C. thompsonae, and the Flaming Glory Bower Vine, C. splendens. Item# 599

A tough native shrub that produces spikes of deep red tubular flowers touched with yellow that begin to open in early spring just as the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds begin to arrive. The Red Buckeye is typically a medium to large growing deciduous shrub that is adaptable to a variety of soil conditions although it will grow and flower best in full sun it is also tolerant of some shade. This tough little native begins flowering at a young age and is easy to grow and establish. Moderately drought resistant once well-established with few pests and diseases. Item# 3047

The Red Butterfly Ginger produces large deep reddish orange to red flowers that emerge from a darkened flower spike atop the sturdy stems of rich green smooth tropical looking foliage. It very much resembles the White Butterfly Ginger when in flower other than the flower color but has darker foliage a more compact habit. The Red Butterfly Ginger is one of the earliest gingers to flower in our collection. Provide a semi-shaded location where it receives shade during the hottest portion of the day although it is fairly tolerant. The Red Butterfly Ginger will prefer an average moist, well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Item# 11521

Clusters of deep red, long-lasting, saucer-shaped calyxes are centered by deep red, 1" long, slightly curved tubular flowers and are produced along the arching stems beginning in late summer and early fall just in time for the fall hummingbird migration. Flowering may continue throughout winter and into spring in warm winter climates or will continue until the first hard frost or freeze in colder winter regions. The Red Chinese Hat, a relatively rare color form of Holmskioldia sanguinea, is a naturally evergreen, arching or scandent, tropical shrub growing to about 6-8' high and up to 8-12' wide, even as a dieback perennial in our zone 8B garden. It can utilized as a specimen planting, as an informal hedge, espalier it along a fence or on a trellis, and even as tree form or standard. Provide the Chinese Hat Plant with a full to mostly sunny site, in an average moist, fertile soil with average or better drainage for optimum vigor and flowering. See our Growing on the Edge Growing Guide for more on growing root hardy tropicals as perennials in the garden and landscape. Item# 11486

Brilliant crimson red bottlebrush-like flowers are produced in summer often into fall to potentially year-round under warm tropical conditions and attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Red Clusters Bottlebrush, a selection of Callistemon viminalis, is a vigorous freely flowering, naturally evergreen large shrub that can also be trained into a small tree form that matures to about 12' high by about 8' wide. In zone 8, the foliage may drop after hard freezes potentially reducing flowering and so this cultivar may be best grow in warmer winter climates like zones 9 and 10. They can also be enjoyed as container plants where not reliably hardy. Provide Bottlebrush with a full to mostly sunny site in an average to well-draining, fertile soil and they are moderately drought resistant once fully established. Item# 603

1" wide, deep red, Hibiscus-like flowers are produced from spring to fall to potentially year-round under warm tropical conditions attracting hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Red Dragon Rockrose, potentially a hybrid between the native Pavonia lasiopetala and the South American P. missionum, is a multi-stemmed, clump forming, naturally evergreen to semi-deciduous, tropical shrub adorned with deep green, lance-shaped foliage and growing to about 3-4' high and 2-3' wide. It is considered hardy in zones 9-11 and may act like a die-back perennial in areas that experience hard freezes. Where not hardy plants can be enjoyed as container plants or summer annuals. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in a well-drained, average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13648

The large glowing red 'parent' flowers of the original El Capitolio Hibiscus appear to have a second smaller double bloom that is held out away from it creating a 'poodled' effect. The El Capitolio Hibiscus have the potential to flower throughout the year under good conditions and with enough warmth and sunlight.The large blooms often have a streak of white adding to their tropical beauty. Their unique form, flower size, vigor, and flower power all make the El Capitolio Hibiscus types some of our favorites for large tropical specimens. They can be used as formal or informal shrubs for hedging and screens, as tree forms, or even trained into large espalier. Caterpillar host: Gray hairstreak. Item# 610.

The Red Firecracker Fern produces loads of 1" showy red tubular flowers that are born in large loose clusters along the arching ferny stems throughout the warmer months of the year or nearly year round where winters are mild. Excellent for Hummingbirds! This is a durable and long-lived, clump forming perennial that requires little additional care once well-established. The Firecracker Fern has excellent heat and sun tolerance as well as moderate drought resistance once well-established. It is even listed as being suitable for xeriscaping. Firecracker Fern, Russelia equisetiformis, is listed as a Texas A&M Outstanding Coastal Plant as it has excellent resistance to soil and wind born salts, though it could use some protection from harsh, drying winds. It is also an RHS Award of Garden Merit selection. It can be used as a low informal hedge, allow it to spill over walls, enjoy it as a hanging basket, window box, or container specimen, as well as in mixed container gardens. Item# 417