Hummingbird Plants from the
Peterson Garden on
Mtn Home AFB, Idaho (SW desert; "Magic
Valley")
Summer 2003
Salvia wall -- east wall of the house, under the eaves. For some reason this area rarely freezes in winter, and is protected from snow by the eaves. Plants in this bed are the first to spring forth in spring. Therefore, I'm hoping that a few "tender" perrenials may survive here to regrow next year. That's my experiment, anyway. UPDATE: During 2004 these plants all did come back (with the exception of Salvia leucantha and Salvia coccinea). The Salvia uliginosa and Salvia guaranitica did great in 2004.
From left to right; small Salvia coccinea (blooms broken off accidently); behind that against the wall and partially hidden is a bushy Salvia leucantha 'Santa Barbara' (dwarf variety); just behind the stake and in front of 'Santa Barbara' is the small, bushy Salvia guaranitica 'Black-and-Blue'; to the right of that, beneath the Mississippi license plate and in front of the rose is the more robust Salvia guaranitica 'Kobalt'; to the right of that is the very spindly Salvia uliginosa (bog sage) near the leaky faucet. The pink flower spikes to the far right are a variety of Cardinal Flower (Lobelia sp.) that is useless as a hummer plant!
UPDATE -- It's now fall of 2004 and I will not try Salvia leucantha again. It doesn't have time to bloom before the frost hits, and it didn't survive the winter even in this sheltered bed. It is therefore useless as a hummer plant here in southwest Idaho. If you can find one already blooming in a pot in the summer (as we did initially), it may be worth a try if the price is right, but there are certainly better plants to choose from.
Salvia uliginosa (bog sage); 2003; Hummers check this out in conjunction with visits to 'Kobalt' (below); Calliope and Rufous... I'm not convinced they get much nectar from it (I can't get more than a speck when plucking the flowers). I keep this plant primarily because it's a novelty and grows well here -- and I have plenty of space for better hummer-flowers in the garden.
Salvia guaranitica 'Kobalt' (anise sage); 2003; a hummingbird favorite in my yard this year; visited primarily by Rufous and Calliope (have yet to see Black-chinned use it).
UPDATE -- Black-chinneds do indeed go for this plant! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of the Salvia guaranitica varieties.
Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' (anise sage); 2003; has only recently begun flowering, so haven't seen hummers use it, yet.
UPDATE -- this plant is indeed a hummingbird magnet, and one that grows well in a pot, too!
Abutilon 'Little Imp' (flowering maple); 2003; grown in a large plastic pot; another hummingbird favorite, visited by Black-chinned and Rufous. This plant was purchased several feet tall and blooming profusely. It never stopped blooming until the first heavy frost, and if the price was right I'd continue to add this plant to my hummer garden, treating it as an annual (provided I could purchase large plants already in bloom).
 |