Hummingbird Plants

Clusters of yellow, long-lasting, saucer-shaped calyxes are centered by yellow, 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 Yellow 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 by the end of the growing season, even as a dieback perennial in our zone 8B garden. It can be 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. Flower color tends to richest in sunny conditions. See our Growing on the Edge Growing Guide for more on growing root hardy tropicals as perennials in the garden and landscape. Item# 10036

The Yellow Firecracker Fern produces loads of 1" creamy yellow tubular flowers that are born in large loose clusters throughout the warmer months of the year or nearly year round where winters are mild. Excellent for Hummingbirds! Plant it with the red for a colorful show. 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 is listed as a Texas A&M Outstanding Coastal Plant. Item # 752.

From spring to fall a near continuous display of the 2-3" wide bright sunny yellow trumpets are held against a foil of deep green glossy foliage. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The Yellow Mandevilla, Pentalinon luteum or Urechites lutea, is a vigorous twining, naturally evergreen, tropical vine native to southern Florida, the Caribbean, and Honduras. It is vigorous enough to cover a small arbor or medium-sized trellis but is mannerly enough to be maintained on a smaller 3-4' high support where it can be enjoyed as container plant for a sunny patio. Provide the Yellow Mandevilla with a fertile, average moist, average to well-drained soil in a full to mostly sunny site for maximum flowering and vigor. Item# 12385

A rare or uncommon color form of the common Red Shrimp Plant, the Yellow Queen Shrimp Plant produces a continuous display of upright to arching spikes composed of large showy light yellow to chartreuse colored bracts from which the individual white tubular flowers emerge in spring and summer to year round under warm tropical conditions. It displays the same habit and exceptional flower power of its maroon-red bracted cousin making a beautiful display as a container plant specimen and in mixed container gardens as well as in the garden and landscape. The common Shrimp Plant, Justicia brandegeeana, is a heat loving, naturally evergreen, bushy, tropical plant with dark olive green foliage and grows to about 24" high by about 18" wide. It is both full sun and bright shade tolerant but tends to have the densest branching habit where it receives at least 4 hours or more of direct sunlight. Provide an average to well-drained, moderately fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Attracts hummingbirds and the occasional larger butterfly and is an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. Caterpillar host: Cuban Crescent, Texan Crescent, White Peacock, and Malachite. Item# 1170

Pure white 2" long tubular flowers emerge from between the spikes of golden yellow, long lasting, showy bracts nearly throughout the year where kept from cool temperatures. The Yellow Shrimp Plant, Pachystachys lutea, is an easy to enjoy and popular shade loving naturally evergreen tropical that slowly builds into a shrubby perennial with large dark green foliage. Its an easy and rewarding choice for a shaded porch or patio where it will add a little tropical flair. The flowers attract hummingbirds and other long-tongued pollinators. Provide an average moist to moist, fertile, average to well-drained soil in a shaded site for optimum growth and vigor. This is a true tropical plant that prefers temperatures above about 60^oF and can be overwintered indoors in an area with high indirect sunlight but plants can tolerate some direct sunlight, preferably cool or filtered, during the early or very late part of the day. *Note: In more northerly latitudes and/or cool summer climates plants are generally better able to tolerate full sun. Item# 3042