Hummingbird Plants

Large intense deep blue flowers emerge from tall spikes beginning in spring and continuing throughout the growing season and into fall. Van Remsen Salvia, an Anise Sage or chance hybrid, is an excellent nectar plant for hummingbirds and may also be visited by larger butterflies. Unlike many of the Salvia guaranitica selections available Van Remsen is a clump forming vigorous growing perennial that can hit 7' high bringing the flowers closer to the hummingbirds and towering over most other garden perennials. This cultivar was discovered in the garden of James Van Remsen of Louisiana and was named and introduced by Salvia guru Richard Dufresne of North Carolina. Provide a full to mostly sunny location in an average moist, well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12118

Beautiful white edged to pink tinged, succulent variegated ovate foliage adorns the upright, zig-zagging stems on an upright growing succulent. The beautifully variegated foliage of this Red Bird Cactus, actually a Euphorbia or Pedilanthus and not a true cacti, makes this plant worth growing although the plant gets it's name from the clusters of tiny red bird-shaped that may be produced in summer. This is an easy and forgiving succulent that develops into an architecturally pleasing specimen plant suitable for a semi-shaded porch or patio and it tends to have more pink foliage coloration where it receives some direct sunlight as well as during cooler weather. Allow the soil to become somewhat dry between waterings although it can tolerant more moisture when in active growth and less during winter. Item# 598

The Variegated Red Shrimp Plant produces a continuous display of upright to arching spikes composed of large showy maroon bracts from which the individual maroonish-red and white tubular flowers emerge in spring and summer to year round under warm tropical conditions. This plant has exceptional flower power along with beautifully variegated foliage that is flecked and splotched with creamy white. Use 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. Item# 710

This  fragrant tropical vine flaunts wide cream to gold edging on the thick rich green foliage. Very fragrant, tubular, waxy white flowers are borne in clusters from early summer until late fall. Item # 9394.

Worth growing just for its randomly variegated bright white and green variegated foliage that is a standout in the garden. The sleepy, deep red 1" blooms glow like Christmas lights against the white and green foliage. Super easy to grow and care for and your Hummingbirds and Butterflies will show their appreciation for this attractive plant as well. This selection does show solid green new growth from time to time which should be pruned away. Item# 712.

Large rounded clusters of medium to light pink, honeysuckle-like fragrant flowers are produced in early spring atop the still bare winter stems attracting larger butterflies, hummingbirds, and the hummingbird like Sphinx moths with its fragrance and nectar. Varnadoe's Phlox Pink, a strongly pink selection of the native Piedmont, Mountain or Pinxterbloom Azalea, Rhododendron canescens, whose flowers are more commonly a light pink to near white, at least here in the Pineywoods. This is a medium-sized deciduous native shrub and is often still fondly called Wild Bush Honeysuckle. Like most Azaleas, it will do best in an average moist, acidic, well-draining soil that is top dressed with a breathable organic mulch like pine straw. It can tolerate full to mostly sunny sites under good conditions but is generally best grown in an area that receives filtered to partial shade. Item# 13078

The spring to frost display of tall dense spikes of tubular, almost batface-like purple and lavender flowers are held above the neat mounds of dark purple-tinged deep green foliage. VELVET™ Diva Plectranthus is a breakthrough for this easy to grow, showy tropical and has a nice, almost formal, densely branching habit that doesn't require pinching like the older Mona Lavender Plectranthus did. It makes a perfect container specimen for 8-10" pots for shaded to partially shaded areas like a porch or covered patio. VELVET™ Diva Plectranthus can also be used as a warm season annual shaded gardens and landscapes. It can tolerate cool direct sunlight, like early in the day or late in the evening, and filtered sunlight fairly well but will need shade during the hottest portions of the day, especially in areas with hot summer climates, to keep the foliage a dark healthy green. Provide a moist to average moist, fertile, well-drained soil for optimum growth and vigor. Photos courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12865

The spring to frost display of tall dense spikes of tubular, almost batface-like flowers sport shades of bright rose, pure pink, and violet and are held above the neat mounds of the purple-tinged deep green foliage. VELVET™ Starlet Plectranthus is a breakthrough color for this easy to grow, showy tropical and has a nice, almost formal, densely branching habit that doesn't require pinching like the older Plectranthus did. It makes a perfect container specimen for 8-10" pots for shaded to partially shaded areas like a porch or covered patio. VELVET™ Starlet Plectranthus can also be used as a warm season annual shaded gardens and landscapes. It can tolerate cool direct sunlight, like early in the day or late in the evening, and filtered sunlight fairly well but will need shade during the hottest portions of the day, especially in areas with hot summer climates, to keep the foliage a dark healthy green. Provide a moist to average moist, fertile, well-drained soil for optimum growth and vigor. Photos courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12864

1" long tubular fiery red-orange flowers tipped in white seemingly cover up this plant throughout the growing season to yearround under warm frost free conditions. Vermillionaire™ Cigar Plant is basically a compact better branching form of the hummingbird garden staple David Verity that grows to about 2'x2'. This new compact Cuphea has made a big splash with its exceptional flower power and, like David Verity, it is a heat and sun-loving flowering machine which is perfectly suited for medium-sized containers. It can be used as a a stand alone specimen, in combination plantings, and even as a hanging basket plant as well as in the garden and landscape. Provide a full sun to part shade location in a fertile, average moist soil. The flowers attract hummingbirds as well larger butterflies, especially the Sulphur butterflies with their strong affinity for red flowers. Item# 11996

The large 3-4" wide, funnel shaped, white flowers are neatly edged in a broad band of contrasting rich reddish-pink and seem to nearly glow against the foil of dark green, medium textured foliage. Flowering is in midspring attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Vibrant Evergreen Azalea, a Harris hybrid, is a rare dwarf with a dense and compact habit that lends itself to bonsai culture but is sure to be a low-maintenance conversation piece in the garden and landscape.  Azaleas do best in average moist, acidic soils that are rich in organic matter but have good to excellent drainage and should be top dressed with an organic mulch such as pine straw and pine bark. We recommend using a slow-release, non-burning fertilizer that is labeled for acidic loving plants. Item# 12576

Large clusters of lightly fragrant, 1 to 1-1/2" wide, 4-'petaled' white flowers often with light green accents are produced in mid to late summer attracting bees, hummingibirds, and other pollinators. The Virgin's Bower, Clematis virginiana, is a vigorous, deciduous, woody native vine climbing via tendril-like leaf petioles up to about 20' high where it has support. It is deer and rabbit resistant, is adaptable to soil types and moisture levels, as well as sunlight, although, plants grown in sun to part shade may flower more profusely. This is not to be confused with the invasive Sweet Autumn Clematis, Clematis terniflora, which has entire or smooth leaflet edges and the foliage is thick and leathery, whereas, Virgin's Bower, C. virginiana, has toothed leaflets and the foliage tends to be a darker green. Female flowers may be followed by densely 'bearded', long lasting seed heads. Note: These are seed raised plants which may have only male, only female, or both flower types on the same plant. Flower and overall plant images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 13179

Yellow trumpet shaped flowers are heavily accented by deep brick red in the throat and are produced in mass in spring to early summer with flowering coinciding with the arrival of migrating hummingbirds. The flowers have a fragrance similar to the candy Bit O' Honey that my mother often enjoyed as we were growing up. The flowers also attract larger bees and other pollinators. The Wabash Valley Crossvine, a selection of Bignonia capreolata from its northern most regions in Wabash County in southern Illinois and was selected by the late Dr. Wesley Whiteside and was introduced to the nursery trade by Ellen Hornig via Broken Arrow Nursery. It was selected at least in part for its reliable zone 6 cold hardiness. The Crossvine is a vigorous semi-evergreen, clinging native vine that produces pads at the ends of its tendrils that can attach to most surfaces without harming brickwork and masonry. These native vines make a low maintenance choice for fences, posts, arbors, and larger trellises. Item# 13055

A Louisiana Super Plant selection! The large 3-4" wide, coral pink, funnel-shaped flowers are produced beginning in late spring with sporadic summer flowering and another nice show in fall with the flowers attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Watchet Azalea, an evergreen Satsuki type, has a neat and compact, densely branching, naturally rounded habit that lends itself to use in low-maintenance gardens and landscapes, including formal settings. Its small size also lends Watchet to use in bonsai as well as for low-maintenance container plants. Provide your evergreen Azaleas with a well-drained, average moist, humus rich, acid soil and topdress with an organic mulch for the best results. Item# 12575

The pure white 1" long tubular flowers emerge from mealy-white calyxes along dense 18-24" high spikes from spring to fall attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. White Flame Salvia is a vigorous and mannerly intermediate height hybrid of Salvia longispicata x S. farinacea that revels in the heat and sun of summer when many other plants are seeking shade. Provide a full to mostly sunny site with average or better drainage in containers as well as in the garden and landscape. Although, White Flame Salvia is considered hardy to zone 7, it will likely do best if planted out in spring once the danger of freeze and frost have passed. Image courtesy of Ball Horticulture, all rights reserved. Item# 12176

White Lightening Turk's Cap is a new Greg Grant introduction with a more vigorous growth habit and produces loads of pure white blossoms that are held against the dark green foliage. Mix this one in with your red flowered Turk's Caps for a wonderful contrast where it will flower from late May to November. Item# 9738

A rare or at least uncommon color form of the ever popular Blue Pea Vine producing large white blossoms held against medium green to blue green foliage on a small vine with excellent flower power. The White Pea Vine makes the perfect vine for container culture on small trellises, mailboxes, and fences that will flower from spring nearly all the way until frost. By some accounts it is a tender perennial in mild winters but is more generally grown as an annual and it readily returns from seeds saved the previous winter. Provide a full to partial sun location in a moderately fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 11952

Beautiful and unique spidery white flowers absolutely cover this semi-dwarf evergreen shrub in mid-spring. The rare Koromo White Azalea's naturally compact growth habit, durability, and rare flower form make this a definite conversation piece. The lavender form of this Azalea, Koromo Shikibu or Purple Spider, lines the eastern border of the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Gardens at Stephen F Austin's Mast Arboretum. Azaleas do best in average moist, acidic soils that are rich in organic matter but have good to excellent drainage and should be top dressed with an organic mulch such as pine straw and pine bark. We recommend using a slow-release, non-burning fertilizer that is labeled for acidic loving plants. Item# 10813

Clusters of pure white flowers are borne from spring to frost on this easy and adaptable perennial. With a low, naturally spreading to weeping habit White Trailing Lantana makes an excellent choice for the garden or as a spiller in mixed containers. Excellent for butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Evergreen in mild winter climates and makes a wonderful freely flowering groundcover. Item# 10791.

Only one of two Amsonia species to receive a 5-star rating in the Chicago Botanic Gardens trials! Showy clusters of light blue star-shaped 1" wide flowers are produced in spring atop sturdy stems cloaked in dark green willow-like foliage. The Willowleaf Eastern Bluestar has the same basic habit and growth requirements of the more common Eastern Bluestar, Amsonia tabernaemontana var. tabernaemontana, but with larger showier flower clusters that seem to cover the plant, a neat dense vase-shaped habit, and clean disease resistant foliage. An easy to grow, clump-forming native perennial that is tolerant of wet to average moist soils preferring a full to mostly sunny site in the garden and landscape. The flowers of Bluestars attract butterflies and hummingbird moths. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 11945

Clusters of medium to large cupped white flowers that are centered by a deep burgundy eye are produced in summer and sit atop a sturdy stems cloaked in grayish to nearly white foliage. The Woolly Rose-Mallow or Swamp Mallow, a form of Hibiscus moscheutos var. lasiocarpos, is sure to be a standout hardy clump-forming perennial that will produce more and more flowering stems each year eventually developing into a rounded mass of nearly white foliage topped by clusters of flowers. The flowers normally remain open until about midday but may stay open nearly all day on overcast or cloudy days. The Woolly Rose-Mallow is adaptable to moist to wet to average moist, fertile soils and is an easy choice for pondside and bog plantings. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12197

A beautiful clear yellow Cape Honeysuckle that produces masses of 2" tubular flowers in large clusters in summer and fall or nearly continuously throughout the year under frost free conditions. This easy heat and sun loving tropical can be grown as a medium to large arching shrub or hedge, vine or espalier, and can be trained into tree standards. The tubular flowers are a treat for hummingbirds and larger butterflies. Where not hardy it is easily maintained as a container plant. Item# 746.