There are many different kinds of Hummingbird flowers. And I've gone through quite a few. But since spring is on its way, I thought I would go in a little more detail on some of my favorite flowers which have been my hummers favorites and a few new ones for you all to try if you would like~
For the first flower I would like to cover the Bee Balm~
This is one of my favorites and my Hummers too!
I could find 4 different variety with pictures too.
This is the one flower that makes your Garden a hummingbirds come and stay to make it their home.
It is in the Zones of 3 - 9 in the planting zones-
There is the- Bee Balm - Grand Parade - zones 3-8
Bee Balm - Purple Rooster - zones 4 -9
Bee Balm - Coral Reef - zones 3-8
Bee Balm - Jacob Cline - zones 4 -9
The Bee Balm plant,also called Monarda, is an aromatic Eastern North America herb that belongs to the mint family. It grows into a bushy, vertical stalks and produces the most brightly colored flowers in the spring to late summer. This plant develops colorful, spider - shaped flower blossoms in the early to late summer months. These flowers are Red, Pink, lilac, & will bloom in large heads or whorls of about 20 - 50 flowers at the top of the stems. Growing two to three feet tall, depending on the variety, it has a stem that is square, grooved and hard. Fine dense hairs cover much of the stems and leaves & the Bee Balm roots are short slender, creeping rhizomes.
The Bee Balm is easy to grow in any ordinary garden soil as well as in heavy clay soil; It requires a part shady to sunny area to grow. It will thrive in any moist soil that is rich in organic matter such as manure, compost, or leaf mold and it prefers alkaline soil conditions. In the fall you will want to prune your Monarda plants to within an inch of the ground or in your large Pot.
Note: Like other members of the Mint family, Bee Balm's can become invasive. So you want to have a large area for the plant to grow. This being your home that you may own or keep the plant in contained in large pots or dividers in your garden. Another helpful hint. I always but mulch of old leaves an wood chips on the top of my Monarda plants in late Nov, to keep the roots warm from the frost and snow. This will protect them for the next coming spring.
The Abutilon' Canary Bird (Canary Bird Flowering Maple ~ Abutilon' Canary Bird is a marvelous hummingbird plant that has survived in 6 degrees weather. This hibiscus is relative to the maple - like foliage and will grow up to 6'tall to 3' wide. It will start flowering in early summer with large dangling 3" wide canary yellow , bell-like flowers and will continues until the first frost. So for those in the northerly zones - The Abutilon Canary Bird makes a great Center piece for a container plant, good winter drainage is key! For Maximum cold tolerance in the ground~ It needs sun to part shade. This is a winner as the flowers go for the hummingbirds or just for a great flower for your garden for the folks who live in the colder climates..
This is a new one I found for all of you and it's a Beauty.. Its Called "Black Drooping Lily-of-the-Nile. Its zone is 7-10 at least. It will get to 24" in height and it's sun to part shade. It is originally from South Africa - Cool! This Fully deciduous South African agapanthus can be found in open meadows in its surrounding mountain ranges. The clumps of strap-like green leaves are topped in July with 2' tall spikes of dark purple - black pendulous flower in July . The hummers love this one! You may need to ask for this one by it name and use the photo that I have provided too. Enjoy.
This one looked very interesting to me too! Besides the flower the name catch my eye!
They are an upright 6 foot x 3 foot wide brush plant adorned with large 2" blood red bell shaped flowers that dangling from the top half of the plant. It will bloom in late summer. This is another hummer favorite too! And is one of the best of the growing flowing plant too.. So I hope you all have good luck if you all choose the beauty of the Voodoo Flowering Maple..
This next Flower is another of my Favorites. I first discovered it in my mother backyard. And watching all the beautiful blue &deep green hummingbirds that would come by every morning and afternoon for some of the tasty nectar that was in these beautiful flowers. This flower is Called - Abutilon - Bartley Schwarz'(Bartley Schwartz
In our winter this flower the Abutilon - Bartley Schwartz - Named after the late California Plants man, although incorrectly spelled 'Schwartz - has been one of the best performers type of flowers. This slightly pendent branching habit of this Abutilon megapotamicum hybrid makes a 4 foot tall sometimes taller x 4 wide bush with these fuzzy green serrated leaves and are adorned with these beautiful salmon -orange bell-shaped flowers that dangle from the out stretched woody branches - good as house plant and outside. Hummingbirds love this one.. This is the one flower to get to start your garden ..
This is my Last flower for you all. But it is a wonderful flower for you Garden. And I hope that with all this info that I have given you, you to will have a happy garden this coming Spring.
This is Called Saliva - Furmans - Red. Its in the zone of 5 - 10. These are also great for your hummingbirds too. They are in the Saliva Furman Red - Family. Their mature height grows to 18'' to 24 inches high. Their soil is widely adaptable moisture is moderate . They grow upright and need full sun~
Saliva Furman Reds are extremely long blooming selection and they are a very hardy bloom too. This is one of the reason I choose this flower. Also because its in the zone 5-10 area too. Its tightly branched upright growth habit and its profusion of the very bright red flowers from the beginning of early summer through the fall. This crimson to scarlet looking flowers will produce in a repeated fashion the flushes of reds from May through October. The Saliva Reds are a woody perennial that looks best if cut back in the spring.
The eye - catching red flowers offer an abundance of stunning blooms have a crinkly foliage that will be another of your hummingbirds favorites too. They tolerate a wide range of soils and require only what they need to drain for a quick drink of water.
Well these are six different kinds of great flowers for your garden this coming Spring/ They will make your garden look beautiful and you will have lots of tiny jewels of hummingbirds come to your garden and make their homes near around your garden. I hope these flowers and helpful hints that I have learned over the years well help you in your own gardens this coming Spring.. Wendy.
The Bee Balm is easy to grow in any ordinary garden soil as well as in heavy clay soil; It requires a part shady to sunny area to grow. It will thrive in any moist soil that is rich in organic matter such as manure, compost, or leaf mold and it prefers alkaline soil conditions. In the fall you will want to prune your Monarda plants to within an inch of the ground or in your large Pot.
Note: Like other members of the Mint family, Bee Balm's can become invasive. So you want to have a large area for the plant to grow. This being your home that you may own or keep the plant in contained in large pots or dividers in your garden. Another helpful hint. I always but mulch of old leaves an wood chips on the top of my Monarda plants in late Nov, to keep the roots warm from the frost and snow. This will protect them for the next coming spring.
The Abutilon' Canary Bird (Canary Bird Flowering Maple ~ Abutilon' Canary Bird is a marvelous hummingbird plant that has survived in 6 degrees weather. This hibiscus is relative to the maple - like foliage and will grow up to 6'tall to 3' wide. It will start flowering in early summer with large dangling 3" wide canary yellow , bell-like flowers and will continues until the first frost. So for those in the northerly zones - The Abutilon Canary Bird makes a great Center piece for a container plant, good winter drainage is key! For Maximum cold tolerance in the ground~ It needs sun to part shade. This is a winner as the flowers go for the hummingbirds or just for a great flower for your garden for the folks who live in the colder climates..
This is a new one I found for all of you and it's a Beauty.. Its Called "Black Drooping Lily-of-the-Nile. Its zone is 7-10 at least. It will get to 24" in height and it's sun to part shade. It is originally from South Africa - Cool! This Fully deciduous South African agapanthus can be found in open meadows in its surrounding mountain ranges. The clumps of strap-like green leaves are topped in July with 2' tall spikes of dark purple - black pendulous flower in July . The hummers love this one! You may need to ask for this one by it name and use the photo that I have provided too. Enjoy.
This one looked very interesting to me too! Besides the flower the name catch my eye!
It called abutilon hybridum 'Voodoo'(Voodoo Flowering Maple)Its a beauty but I have found a few details in it's zones. It says zones 7-10 zones which usually means the flower can handle frost and snow but with this flower I've read that the Voodoo will continue to flower into the 20's degrees. It doesn't say if it can go lower so it might be a test plant for you to try. It is a very cool plant so you could always put it inside your home if all doesn't go well in the cold winter outside to safe the plant. That is what I would do. This of course is just an idea.
As far as what the Voodoo Flower Maple looks like~
This next Flower is another of my Favorites. I first discovered it in my mother backyard. And watching all the beautiful blue &deep green hummingbirds that would come by every morning and afternoon for some of the tasty nectar that was in these beautiful flowers. This flower is Called - Abutilon - Bartley Schwarz'(Bartley Schwartz
In our winter this flower the Abutilon - Bartley Schwartz - Named after the late California Plants man, although incorrectly spelled 'Schwartz - has been one of the best performers type of flowers. This slightly pendent branching habit of this Abutilon megapotamicum hybrid makes a 4 foot tall sometimes taller x 4 wide bush with these fuzzy green serrated leaves and are adorned with these beautiful salmon -orange bell-shaped flowers that dangle from the out stretched woody branches - good as house plant and outside. Hummingbirds love this one.. This is the one flower to get to start your garden ..
This is my Last flower for you all. But it is a wonderful flower for you Garden. And I hope that with all this info that I have given you, you to will have a happy garden this coming Spring.
Saliva Furman Reds are extremely long blooming selection and they are a very hardy bloom too. This is one of the reason I choose this flower. Also because its in the zone 5-10 area too. Its tightly branched upright growth habit and its profusion of the very bright red flowers from the beginning of early summer through the fall. This crimson to scarlet looking flowers will produce in a repeated fashion the flushes of reds from May through October. The Saliva Reds are a woody perennial that looks best if cut back in the spring.
The eye - catching red flowers offer an abundance of stunning blooms have a crinkly foliage that will be another of your hummingbirds favorites too. They tolerate a wide range of soils and require only what they need to drain for a quick drink of water.
