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Tubular Blossoms Hummers Love to Sip From

© Naomi Mathews

When considering plants to entice hummingbirds to your backyard garden, don't overlook the nectar rich tubular flowers of certain shrubs or bushes. In doing some serious research toward improving my own hummingbird habitat, I've discovered there are many great shrubs with exquisite blossoms that hummers find extremely alluring.

Consider first the striking Hummingbird Bush (Hamelia patens) with its appealing, clean foliage, and that produces dramatic clusters of tubular, scarlet red blossoms with deeper red throats. These blossoms are natural attractants to both hummingbirds AND butterflies--a duo reward for the wildlife gardener. Another favorable attribute of the Hummingbird Bush's blossoms is that they don't require removal after they fade, which I find very appealing. Dead-heading dried up old blossoms is definitely not my favorite gardening task!

A common name for this intriguing plant is "Firebush." This unusual bush turns a magnificent blood red color in the fall when the days shorten and the temperatures cool. It goes without saying that the Hummingbird Bush offers a special appeal to both the hummer and the gardener.

Another tubular blossom hummingbirds will flock to is that of the azalea. Azaleas are very popular flowering shrubs available in a terrific variety of colors. Azaleas are really shrubs of the genus "Rhododendron" which are members of the heath family.

There are two basic types of azaleas: Evergreen Azaleas and Deciduous Azaleas.

Deciduous azaleas produce long-lasting 3-6 inch exotic clusters of red, pink, purple, orange, yellow or white tubular flowers. In my garden, I have had a lovely salmon colored azalea and also a delicate pale pink azalea for about eight years. They have required very little care and truly do attract hummers and butterflies, in spite of their pale color. I hope to add a couple of new azaleas this spring, and will include at least one red variety, since this is the hummingbirds' all-time favorite color!

Evergreen azaleas are also very popular. They are native to North America and are also known as "swamp honeysuckle." Some evergreen azaleas have deciduous leaves and are quite hardy, while most other evergreen varieties don't survive too well in the colder zones. The Flame Azalea (R. calendulaceum) would be a great variety to consider planting as a hummingbird attractant. There are many other exciting hybrid and species azaleas available at local greenhouses or garden stores. I particularly love my deciduous azaleas (since I live in USDA Zone 6) as they bloom very early in the spring, adding welcome color to my flower beds following the long gray days of winter.

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