Here's a link to a list of the Top Hummingbird Magnets along with their corresponding growing zones.

Good Luck and enjoy !
Lee

Here is a link that might be useful: Hummingbird Magnets

Lime
Most of what they will use in the cooler zones in very early spring are going to be certain flowering trees or shrubs: Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia), Azaleas and Rhododendrons, Lilac bushes, crabapple trees, flowering quince and flowering currant. They will use early spring perennials such as Aquilegia canadensis (native Eastern Columbine) and crossvine which is a spring blooming cousin of the trumpet vine but not invasive like the Trumpet vine. A little later will be coral honeysuckle

The spider webs are used to hold their nests together so whenever possible don't clean them out.

Penny

limequilla, I did a little hunting around on the internet and found a plant that might be of interest to you. It's called Winter Honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima. It is hardy in zones 4-8, and I checked the Missouri Botanical Garden website (zone 6) and it is blooming there now and has been for over a week. The Missouri site says it may bloom as early as February and March, and sometimes into May. I also found it mentioned on the website of the Louisiana Ornithological society. They say it's a good nectaring plant, and I think they're a pretty credible source of info. where birds and hummingbirds are concerned. A number of sources say that the shrub is not all that attractive, getting scraggly and leggy, but it has a wonderful fragrance that people enjoy, but more importantly is a viable source of nectar for hummingbirds.

As for some of the other suggestions, they're just too late. I like Aquilegia canadensis and have it in my garden, but it won't bloom for you before late April/early May. Even with all the warm weather, mine are leafing out right now, but aren't even close to blooming. Given your zone 5 location, this columbine is not going to fill your late March/early April void.

From what I can tell, Aesculus pavia also might not bloom until late April.

One other possibility, as Penny suggested, are the early blooming Azaleas. Rhododendron periclymenoides is a native one, also called the Pinxterbloom Azalea. Even it may be a bit late for your needs, but might come into bloom as early as the second week of April. This year, with everything being so early, it might be coming into bloom right now.

Check out the Louisian Ornithological Society link for the honeysuckle info. You have to scroll down past "The Duke," and into the section "The Botanical Birder Winterizing..." section. The paragraph you need to see is just above the heading that says "1999 Louisiana Yard List Competition Heats Up!" I'm sorry it's so far down the page!

Here is a link that might be useful: Louisiana Ornithological Society

Excellent ideas, all! Thnaks you for the link, Lee, very imformative. I have a lot of the plants listed, but not all.

Kristin, Thanks for looking that up for me, I think Winter honeysuckle sounds ideal. I looked it up to buy online and it's $22.00 for a little 10-12" cutting. Sheesh, I think I might go on the trading forum and se if anybody can provide some rooted cuttings for me in exchange for something else.

Penny, I have some of the items you list, but once again, not all. I have a giant orange Exbury azalea, not in bloom now, or even close. I have never seen a hummingbird on it or even near it, but maybe I need to be more observant. I am definitely in the market for a Winter Honeysuckle, now tho!

Thanks again for all the ideas,
Lime

The Lornicera fragrantissima might be invasive. A couple of people who I know that have grown it for its early bloom say it is a bit of a thug and they were replacing it.

My columbine have never died off and are filling out now. Another early blooming is Beeding Hearts. I don't see a lot of use but they do and will use them and mine are coming up really fast right now. Something else they will use a little is Jacob's Ladder. It mainly attracts bees and butterflies but the hummers will use it a bit. I think feeders are important especially in early spring until things leaf out and bloom. The feeders will not keep them from using the plants but will help until they can find enough natural nectar...just something to consider.

Penny

I just went out to clean some of the packed down leaves off of one bed of columbine. Two of the plants are sending up their first set of blooms. The seeds of these plants were sown last year right after the seeds matured in early summer so this will be their first time to bloom. They have more protection than the ones in my other beds and are on the east side of the house so they get early morning sun only and a little filtered sun later in the afternoon. My other columbines aren't anywhere near ready to bloom.

Penny

Penny,

That's interesting that some of your columbines are sending up their first sets of blooms, but others are not. Last year, I had them in two locations from two different suppliers, and neither bloomed until late April. Both got some direct morning sun, some dappled sun, and then no sun in the afternoon. I sprouted about a dozen seedlings from both groups and this spring they are sitting in open bottomed pots in yet a 3rd place. The third place is in full sun, and even those aren't showing any signs of blooming. There are lots of healthy leaves, but no buds yet.

Do you think you have an earlier blooming strain, or do you think it's something about that location in your garden? Are you in a warmer part of zone 6? I'm in a colder part--almost zone 5.

An unrelated point on Aquilegia canadensis--I remember seeing them growing wild in a wildflower reserve near here, and am thinking of collecting some seeds. I'm not sure if it's allowed, but I would be very judicious with my collecting, and leave a lot to disperse naturally. It would be nice to get a different strain in my garden. I know it would be wrong to dig the plants up, but don't know if very limited seed collecting is frowned upon in a nature reserve, or not. I guess I'll have to ask the rangers.

Penny

Do you have or have you ever had the trumpet creeper? I read that it is one of the highest in nectar content , but I saw I picture of it and it looks like quite a space hog.

Kristin
All of my native columbines came from seed from my original plant that bloomed for the first time last year. I had already removed all hybrids and purchased plants earlier so it was the only columbine and the two sending up ealry blooms could have been seeds that sprouted and developed a stronger root system earlier than the others. They're all in the same bed and I just let them sprout where they were sown so not really sure why some are going to bloom ahead of the others. They are in a bed against the house on the east side and there was a lot of leaf mulch that had blown over them in the fall that I just left as is and then the snow was piled up above that so they did stay healthy and green all winter. That may have something to do with it also. If you can get the seeds at the preserve, then go for it. I don't see a problem collecting a few seeds. I have best results sowing them right away after they are collected. The will sprout and grow over the summer and be ready to bloom the next spring. OH I also use a thin layer of gravel mulch over them so that may also incease the warmth and encourage early blooming.

Steve
I do have Trumpet Creeper that I grew from seed. In its first year it grew over 10ft tall. It is still in a container because I haven't found a safe place to plant it yet. I don't want it within 15-20 ft. of the house because the roots tend to travel and sprout everywhere and it will grow up inside siding. Besides being invasive, Trumpet Creeper can take from 3-5 yrs to reach bloom size and it doesn't bloom until late summer. It also needs a very very heavy support like a utility pole. I have seen them mangle arbors and topple them because they are just not heavy enough to support a trumpet creeper and they can pull down some fences. If you need a vine get the coral honeysuckle as it will bloom most of the season.

Penny

No hummingbirds here yet and my Aquilegia canadensis has just started blooming. I'm not sure it's always this early though. We've had a very warm spring - second warmest on record they said. Frost is on its way though. (of course)

My neighbor's quince is nearly finished blooming already. I have a young crabapple that's blooming now. I bought a red buckeye last year but it's too young to bloom. If I remember right, a. candensis has a pretty long bloom period. Most shrubs and trees don't.

I have a large patch of creeping phlox that's blooming and have seen it listed as a hummingbird plant but haven't seen any going to mine yet. Maybe I need some that's more reddish in color. It blooms for about a month I think.
I'll be buying some annual red salvia as soon as the nurseries offer it here - Some of the cheap salvia splendens that comes in six packs to get their attention and 'Lady in Red' to keep them here. Wal-Mart and Lowe's had both last year. You might be able to find a hanging basket of fuchsia and bring it in when you have frosts.

Kristen - It would be interesting to see if some columbine is blooming earlier than others in that wildflower meadow. Maybe you could collect from an early bloomer. You'd have to remember which one it was though. lol

Thanks for the advice, Penny. My dozen new plants were also sown from very fresh seed and sprouted readily. I had never thought about a gravel mulch, so that's one thing that you're doing differently from me. In fact, they really weren't mulched at all, so that could be the difference. Or, I guess we can't rule out that you have an earlier blooming strain, but then why would it just be some of your plants? Then again, genetics can do odd things.

About the trumpet vine, Steve, everything Penny says is true, and yet I have a fondness for the plant. It is an awesome hummingbird attractor. I have a yellow flowering one, (the orange/red ones are better, though) which was planted many years ago against the house (gulp!). Fortunately, I don't think it's heavy enough to take our house down, but it does do irritating things like grow into the shutters, and gets under the aluminum siding on the upper floor. I just keep after it and hack it out when it misbehaves, and no harm has been done to our house. Most people would not want to have to bother with that sort of maintenance. I guess I'm sentimental about it because it's the plant that started me on my hummingbird addiction. A couple of summers ago, I saw a hummer feeding from it just outside our window, and decided to hang feeders from the vine. The rest is history, as they say! I've since added and continue to add more plants, but still have a soft spot for that lovable monster. It does take many years to reach blooming size. I had just about given up on mine, but it did finally bloom. When the hummers feed from it, their entire head disappears into the huge flower! I would highly recommend it, though, if you don't mind waiting for it, but with all the caveats that Penny mentioned.

That's an interesting thought, Christie, about the columbines. The reserve is about 20 miles southwest of us, and is a little warmer than we are. I've noticed that the same plants bloom earlier there than here. I was assuming the columbines wouldn't be blooming yet, but perhaps I should take a trip over there and look for them. If they're really an earlier blooming strain, they might already be in full bloom. Of course, it would be awhile before I could harvest the seeds, but it would be interesting to see if they were blooming now. If only some were, maybe I could tie little pieces of colored yarn around the stems of the early ones. At the same reserve, I've also seen what I think are Monarda fistulosa, with pale lavender flowers. I don't know if I could find them again, but I think they're a hummer flower. Maybe I could get seeds from those later in the summer.

The earliest blooming hummer plants I can think of are:

Red-flowering Quince (shrub)
Bleeding Hearts
Coral Bells
Red Maple (tree)

BN

I am also in Zone 5 except I think your area warms up earlier than mine. I noticed on the Missouri Botanical garden they are in zone 5 and already have hummingbirds and it seems all their stuff blooms earlier than mine when I look at their bloom data. They also say that the Red Buckeyes (Aesculus pavia) bloom period coinsides with the arrival of the hummingbirds. I planted one last year so I haven't seen it bloom yet, I am sooo looking forward to it. I have noticed the buds on it have swelled quite a bit so it should happen soon, perhaps when the hummers arrive! I saw my first one May 4th last year, but they might have been around sooner and I just didn't get a glimpse until then. I make sure to put the feeder out as soon as I see them in Southern Mass, just to be sure I'm ready! The feeders really the only time I see them, so I don't know what I'd do without it. I love when I am on the deck and I hear one buzz over my head because I got too close to their feeder! The only flowers I saw them feeding at last year were my Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline' and my neighbors Hosta. I had a lot of stuff they are supposed to like and I bet they did go to them I just didn't see it. Anyway I just wanted to mention a plant I'm trying that you don't hear of as a hummingbird plant. Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)in my area they are the earliest trumpet shaped native spring bloomer and they are listed on the Audobons Hummingbird Plants of the Northeast. If you do a search on them you won't find any info that they feed on them except on that list but I think they're worth a try. I figure those were around long before humans started putting out feeders and I have heard they're second favorite flower color is blue. http://www.auduboninternational.org/e-source/pdfs/WHM-%20Hummingbird%20Plants-%20Northeast.pdf

Here is a link that might be useful: Mobot Aesculus pavia Info