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Hummingbird Garden

Early plants - Red Buckeye & Clove Currant ?

18 years ago

I'm wondering if I need to add some early blooming plants to attract hummingbirds. The article below mentions Red Buckeye, Clove Currant and columbine (which I planted last year). The article says...

"The northward migration of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in spring appears to coincide with the flowering of certain key plants along their route, including red buckeye (Aesculus pavia), clove currant (Ribes odoratum), and columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)."

Anyone have either of those? Do you think it would help attract some early arrivers?

Here is a link that might be useful: Ruby-throated hummingbird

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Comments (10)

irish_rose_grower
18 years ago
HI Christie. I don't know the answer to this question because I am new to Hunningbirds. But this is interesting, and I am looking forward to hearing the responses that this question gets.

Maureen
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
18 years ago
It is far less common in the midwest and east coast than Ribes odoratum, but hummers in the PNW adore flowering currant, Ribes sanguineum. It blooms very early here, generally late February/early March, far earlier than my R. odoratum, and with long flower panicles in hot pinks and white, so very attractive to my overwintering Anna's. To be honest, I've never seen the hummers visit the odoratum - perhaps by the time it blooms they have other, more desirable plants to tempt them.
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It's par for the course, for this species - and to some degree, for the genus as a whole; leaf scorch is common. The little A.pavia in my front yard has been virtually leafless for nearly a month now, but I have no doubt that it'll leaf out just fine next spring. A couple of its cohorts, still in pots on the north side of the house where they get only direct morning sun - and daily watering - still have some leaves, but don't look too spiffy. Red buckeye, in my experience is great in early spring, and lovely in bloom, but sort of like Dirr opined about Clerodendron - it looks like an overturned dumpster most of the year.
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The Ruby-throat actually starts the migration in July or August. The adult males are the first to leave so that they are able to establish a winter territory. Then the adult females that are not still incubating will leave. Then in Sept. females that had late hatches will leave after their babies are on their own and then the juveniles will leave. As a general rule, the majority are gone by the end of Sept. or very early Oct. The late stragglers are usually late hatches that still need to put on enough weight to survive the long journey to S. America or they are old or less healthy hummers that know they can't make the trip and they will stay behind or only migrate to a warmer part of the US. For some unknown reason this year there have been many more confirmed sitings and reports of very late stagglers. Most have been juveniles and I am guessing they were mostly late hatches. I am not sure yet but my little female migrant may have left yestereday before noon. She arrived here right after the snow storm that hit here in the Buffalo area on Oct. 12th. She has been living in my yard and nectaring on my plants that weren't destroyed by the snow storm since she arrived. We had a sunny and mild day yesterday finally so I am hoping that she has decided it is time to head south. If not I may be enclosing my front porch for the winter for her. Penny
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FOUND ONE! Actually two for $3.99 on Ebay. I think I am all set now for plants. Penny
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helena_z8_ms
18 years ago
I have Red Buckeye, native columbine also for early blooms you can't beat having salvia coccineas (red, pink, white), coral honeysuckle. I had a Nicotiana mutibilis that bloomed early that the hummers went to and spigelia marilandica-Indian pink too but I probably lost that one due to the storm.
Helena
penny1947
18 years ago
I planted several flowering red currant cuttings this fall thanks to another very generous PNW gardener. I am not looking for any of mine to be ready to bloom this year but the early bloom for my hummers was the reason I planted them. I also have native columbine that should bloom this year and I have a Rhododendron Catawbiense and a non native Azalea and coral honeysuckle.

Red buckeye is an excellent choice if you have room for it. A large shrub in the same family is the Bottlebrush buckeye but it has white flowers, I believe, but the hummers also use it ( have sown the seeds of 5 of these in hopes of getting at least one or two.

Penny
christie_sw_mo
Original Author
18 years ago
I did some research on flowering currant last year and got the impression that it won't do well here. It must like cooler summers. It's a shame because I think it would be prettier than clove currant. I should get some salvia coccinea volunteers this year and hopefully some native columbine seedlings too. My other columbine reseeds abundantly.
oldroser
18 years ago
My clove currant flowers before the hummers arrive They're generally here around May 1 but the clove currant flowers in April. A nice plant though - the fragrance fills the air and if an early hummer comes through (or the currant flowers late), I'm sure they'd appreciate it. It suckers and spread but that isn't all bad. I got my start of it from my neighbor across the road who mowed the original plant until it died. Never mind, mine has thrived for almost 30 years now.
Mike Larkin
18 years ago
Would it also be possible to attact early travelers - by placing brightly colored fake flowers next to your feeder.

I am also wondering if there is some long term benefit to have them come to your backyard early. Will they be more inclined to nest, or stay all summer?
penny1947
18 years ago
If you get them early then they probably have nesting areas close buy and they may just stay all summer.

The benefit of them coming early is that I get to enjoy them that much longer....no other reason necessary LOL!

Penny
birdgardner
18 years ago
I would love to try currants but I'm afraid to because we've got about 10 huge white pines - there's some risk of a rust disease. Blueberries bloom pretty early and tolerate hot summers. I've never seen a hummer on mine but some people have.

Lisa
penny1947
18 years ago
There are Dwarf red buckeyes for sale on Ebay right now. BUY IT NOW price of $3.99 plus $4.05 for standard shipping. the seller is Viola Valley in Tenn. I placed my order on Sunday so I anticipate receiving them before the end of the week. These are young saplings that are between 12 and 18 inches tall and probably won't bloom this year but I can wait another year for them to bloom.

Penny

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