Native Hummingbird Plants
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| Native Hummingbird Plants
Native plant gardening is becoming critically important to the survival of wildlife, particularly birds. Native plants attract many birds and the insects that birds eat. These plants are adapted to life in this area so they do not need dangerous fertilizers or pesticides to thrive. Using native plants in your garden or around your home creates a safe haven for birds – This landscape is becoming increasingly rare. A “wild” garden look, filled with the tangles and thickets of the native plants that wildlife love, is becoming more popular – Maybe because, like the Tiger Orchid or heirloom seeds, it is becoming harder and harder to find. Many of our native plants whose flowers attract hummingbirds are designed for the hummingbird as the main pollinator of that plant. The color of the flower, in addition to its long tubular shape, gives us a clue that the hummingbird is indeed the pollinator. Through the act of retrieving nectar from the flower, pollen is dusted on the bird (where it is dusted depends on which flower is visited), then exchanged with the other flowers, continuing the pollination process! In his new book, Bringing Nature Home, Douglas W. Tallamy discusses the relationships between birds, insects, plants and people. Many of our natural areas are being converted into communities for people. Tallamy urges home gardeners to take an active role in providing the food and habitat that birds need to survive. He believes that “gardeners have become important players in the management of our nation’s wildlife.” His research reveals that our native insects are not feeding on the many exotic plant species that we usually find at our local nurseries. Insects are a primary source of food for birds. In fact, Tallamy states that “if you count all of the terrestrial bird species in North America that rely on insects … to feed their young, you would find that figure to be about 96% -- In other words, nearly all of them.” Hummingbirds are no different – Most of their diet is made up of small arthropods, such as fruit flies, gnats, spiders, caterpillars and insect eggs. Throughout the fall, the gardens of Strawberry Plains Audubon Center are thick with hummingbirds foraging for insects and sipping from flowers or feeders to fatten up for their long journey south. By offering many favorite native plant species and sugar-water feeders from spring through fall, large numbers of the birds are attracted to the center. You can celebrate hummingbirds in your backyard by creating a habitat they will visit. Hummingbird feeders only require 1 part sugar to every 4 parts water. To really entice the birds, keep your yard as wooded or shrubby as possible and plant the native species that they love (see list below). Most of the plants listed below can be found at local nurseries, including the Strawberry Plains Native Plant Nursery. Be sure and ask for the plant by both the common name and the botanical name. Many species of plants have the same common name but can be very different. Please note, Strawberry Plains Audubon Center has a spring native plant sale and plants are for sale by appointment throughout the rest of the year. To make an appointment to buy plants or to book a native plant gardening program, please call us at 662-252-1155. Just ask for Kristin Lamberson, our Interpretive Garden Specialist. Plant List Aesculus Pavia – Red Buckeye
Bignonia capreolata – Cross Vine
Aquilegia canadensis – Wild Columbine
Silene virginica – Fire Pink
Spigelia marilandica – Indian Pink
Monarda didyma – Bee Balm, Red Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa – Wild Bergamot
Lonicera sempervirens – Coral Honeysuckle
Campsis radicans – Trumpet Vine
Impatiens capensis – Spotted Jewelweed
Lobelia cardinalis – Cardinal Flower
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