Hummingbirds

My wife and I have been enjoying our garden, especially this Spring. We have had the pleasure and honor of watching four separate female hummingbirds build their nest and bring eight new babies into the world from inside our backyard oasis. It has been a joy to watch.

It is easy to go online to find what plants hummingbirds enjoy, and most reputable nurseries will have knowledgable staff to guide people to the correct plants; plants such as Fairy Duster, Penstemon parryi, and Hesperaloe parviflora are just a few. These are good choices to start.

Hummingbirds are omnivores. They consume insects such as gnats. Planting a vine on a wall or fence will help attract insects that hummingbirds enjoy as part of their diet. We have a Cats Claw Vine (Dolichandra unguis-cati) which is a great place for spiderwebs also. Spiderwebs are used in making their nests. We put old fruit in the vines which attract insects and the insects help feed the spiders. The spiders supply hummingbirds with nesting material.

Other plants that are often overlooked are the Desert Willow tree (Chilopsis linearis) and Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans).

Hummingbirds are extremely clean and tidy. They love to bathe themselves in gentle flowing water and drink water supplementing nectar from a water fountain or a bubbler irrigation standing upright with a twig, for example, to sit on while bathing. If you have any questions regarding plants that attract hummingbirds, please contact me at no charge. I would be happy to assist.