I know they love red firespike.
And they're always in the cape honeysuckle and pagoda flower.
They disappear from here in the spring and return in late October.

It's just the opposite in central Florida, Tony. They are here now. From February through August, then they head farther south.

They love salvias of all kinds and agastache. Cupheas are good, trumpet creeper, most tubular blooms, especially red or orange.

One thing...most experts say do not use the red sugar mixture that comes with the feeders. Many think the red dye is actually harmful to the hummers. You can make your own sugar water cheaper by boiling 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Dissolve well and boil for ten minutes, then refrigerate whatever portion doesn't fit into your feeder. It will keep for a week or so in the fridge.

Change the nectar in the feeder every other day, as it will ferment, otherwise, and is harmful to the hummers once it does. Place the feeder near your most colorful blooms to help the hummers find it, and once they have, you can start moving it closer and closer to your best viewing area, if you want to. They will follow it by that point.

They love (and often nest in) powder puff bushes/trees, too. Black & blue salvia guarantica is a big favorite. Ragin' Cajun red ruellia and pineapple sage are great.

Good luck!

Marcia

I have all the firespike you could ever want! Let me know for sure and I will dig it ahead of time. It is very easy to dig up. I have coral honeysuckle, tons of salvia coccinea, and cape honeysuckle too! They also love the porterweed, and yup I have that too! Help yourself! I have dwarf powderpuff if you want cuttings!
You're gonna need a bigger car! LOL!
Kat

Thanks everyone for the tips and experiences.

Marcia, now I know why to change the juice every other day! They will be flying drunk maybe?

Maybe I should empty half of it out now and store it other wide its all going to waste.

Kat, you arent kidding I need a bigger car. I miss my truck so bad, I am kinda in the process of looking for another even though this car gets such great mpg's.

I will surely take you up on the hummingbird plants. Not too many though!

Thanks everyone,

Tony

Tony, as Marcia says they are here now. I live in Clermont, about twenty miles due West of Orlando. I have at least three hanging around my house at the moment. Mine get here with the annual migration from Mexico at the begining of March and generally leave in September. The males arrive first and leave first--claiming the good territory.

We are speaking of Ruby-throats. There are also some Rufuos that hang around in the winter months. I don't get many of those though. I hear that some black-chinned show up near the Panhandle.

As stated above, they love tubular flowers. I have never had luck attracting them to feeders. For me they have been a waste of time.

During the summer the best native plant in my garden is the firebush (Hamelia Patens). The best all-around plant for me is the coral honeysuckle.

I have many hummingbird plants. Too many to list here, but they really like salivas, especially the black and blue, but almost any will do. Early in the year they come to the purple firespike, but the red one is the best starting in late August and through fall. They tend to prefer red flowers, I believe. They will come to red pentas, red porterweeds, red salvias...

If you plant enough of the flowers they like you will get them eventually. I first noticed one on my Rose of Sharon. I didn't even know they were in Central Florida before.

Good luck, Tony. By the way, on the best places to get hummingbird plants is Biosphere in Winter Garden. We have a get-together planned there this Sunday at 10 AM. I'd love to see you there.

Tom

I second (or third) the coral honeysuckle. They go to mine all the time. The pentas and salvias are also popular with them.

Others include native iron weed and cherokee bean aka coral bean. These have fairly short bloom times but really attract the birds.

I've read that certain natives (like new Jersey tea) attract small insects which the hummingbirds eat during nesting time. I've never seen this though. I'd like to get some new jersey tea to try it.

If you're ever up in DeLand, Tony, let me know. You can stop by and I'll give you some hummingbird plants.

Bill

Can anyone tell me if they've seen hummingbirds in Miami area.....I've Been wanting to plant a hummingbird garden since I saw My first hummingbird live at Coffeemoms house. But I've heard they arent in Miami.

There are plenty of hummers in Miami, just at a different time of the year than the ones in Central Florida. I believe (and I learned this here in the group) they get to your area in October or so and stay through the winter. It is the opposite in central Florida. And though the ruby-throated hummer is the "normal" one nesting east of the Mississippi, a few other species are seen from time to time in the main part of the state, but even more "rare" ones are spotted in south Florida. So YOU could get even more varieties than we do here. Get that hummingbird garden going! "If you plant it, they will come!" Eventually!

Tony, the fermented nectar really could make them tipsy, but mostly, it makes them sick, and they won't come back to that feeder again. (Assuming it doesn't kill them.)

Hummers DO eat insects, as well as nectar, especially during the nesting season. I've seen them feeding in oak trees, and flying back to their nests, where they feed their young tiny bugs and spiders.

If you suspect you have a nesting hummer, watch closely for it. The ruby-throateds build lichen covered nests about the size and shape of a marshmallow, and lay two eggs the size of very small jelly beans. They really aren't much larger than the little white lizard eggs you findin flower pots. When the female sits on the nest, her beak hangs over one side and her tail hangs over the other. The little nest is glued directly onto a branch and is hard to see, unless you spot the female flying to it.

They are such fun to watch! I haven't had any this year (or at least haven't spotted any) so I'm planning to add a lot more good plants for them. My coral honeysuckle is blooming well, and I'm hoping it will soon have them coming.

Good luck, all you hummer lovers!

Marcia

BUtterfly gardener,
I sent you an email Re:trade......please let me know if you did not receive it.
Trinigemini (michele)

They seem to really like the bottle brush tree and the porter weed in my yard. Also hangs around my shrimp plant alot. Lately we've been seeing them (there are 2) every evening if its not raining. I'm in the west Pasco County area...Tina

I had them when we lived in NH. There was one that would buzz me..almost to let me know that they were back for the summer. LOL I'd rush in and get the feeders and sugar water going for them and the orioles.
Tony when they find your feeders and plants you are going to have sooo much fun!

Tony, I'll bet they are there and you are just missing them. They seem to buzz in, hit all their favorite flowers and then buzz off just as quick. I've noticed them mostly early in the morning and at dusk although I have spotted them in the afternoons on occasion. The ones that come to my yard always go for the shrimp plants (yellow), coral honeysuckle, purple porterweed, red salvia and red canna. I don't bother with hummingbird feeders anymore as they seem to enjoy the flowers best. I'm in Palm Coast.
Betsy

Hey Kat-bring me some of that firespike to treefrog's. I've never grown it but would love to add by my cape honeysuckle plants. Only seen one hummer here. Tootie had to call me to come see it. It hung around my feeder-it was in March, I think, for a few days. Tootie came into the kitchen mewing up a storm one early morning(Tootie is my 14 yr old tabby cat). The hummer was right outside my patio screen before we built the pool. Every morning for about 5 days at 6-7 am it was there feeding. Haven't seen any since. What a treat they are! When I first met Dennis he had a fishing resort at the foot of the Ozarks and they litterally swarmed his place. They would fly right up to my glasses and peek at me-so exciting to be that close.

I recently read an article about hummers and it said that once you do attract them to your yard and they like what they find they will remember it and come back year after year to the same spots. I remember when I was in Orlando I could almost set my watch by them as they would come about the same time every morning and evening.

I planted a wide variety of things to attract them, many of which have been mentioned in other posts. "My" hummers also loved my Hibiscus plants, the reds as well as a double coral colored one. They would come to the feeder, too, but I think it's because it was next to many other plants they liked. Like the others said, avoid the red dye stuff, the nectar is easy to make.

I love my hummers and I can't wait to see if I can attract them here in my new locale! Good luck!

Bill/castorp I will be in Deland tomorrow and could stop by if you are home. It will be just after 2pm-ish.
Email me your address.

I have gotten a lot of good tips here, thanks everyone.

Seeing as my yard is void of many blooming things which would attract them, it will simply take some time. Now that the pool is gone and the yard is taking shape, I'd say not too much longer unless of course I run out of humming bird season for this area.

The camera is loaded and ready for my first siting.

Tony