Birds.

Brook Klehm bklehm@comcast.net
Sat, 20 Aug 2005 18:10:20 PDT
Here in coastal Northern California, Anna's Hummingbirds are year round 
residents and Allen's Hummingbirds are seasonal visitors.  The Anna's 
are regular visitors, if not residents of my garden.

As for bulbs (tubers, etc) that attract hummers: I have an orange 
flowered, summer blooming Watsonia that I have lost the name of which 
attracts hummingbirds during its 3-4 weeks of bloom.  The tall Cannas 
in my garden (C. glauca 'Ra' and C. 'Red Stripe') are regularly visted, 
especially at dusk.  I can't say that I've seen hummers visiting my 
Agapanthus inapertus or the Hedychium (which arrived without a name).

The garden has many plants that attract hummingbirds which are not 
bulbs: Salvia regla is just beginning to bloom; Salvia africana 'Aurea' 
gets visited while in bloom in late winter/early spring;  Aloe nobilis 
is just finishing bloom; some Dykias which arrived un-named from some 
friends seem very attractive to hummers while blooming in July; 
Camellias in winter; Fuchsia regia attracts hummers from summer to 
early winter; then there's that annoying but very pretty weed, 
Impatiens balfouri which gets visits often; Abutilons seem to be 
visited regularly as well.  I know there must be more, but I can't 
think of the other hummingbird attractors just now.

Brook Klehm
Cool USDA 9 (but with enough heat to get Cannas and one (un-named) 
Hedychium to bloom.  If I ever figure out the wiki, I would love to 
send in a photo of the Hedychium to see if anyone was familiar with it. 
  Of the four Hedychiums growing in this garden, it is the only one 
which has ever bloomed.  It seems more cool tolerant (less heat 
demanding) but more cold insensitive than the others.)


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