Category: Hummingbird Food

It is a well known fact that hummingbirds are extremely territorial and will go to great lengths to defend their food source.  One species of hummingbird, the Rufous hummingbird, seems to take this measure even futher then other hummingbird species.  The rest of this post will explain exactly what I mean by that statement.

As a method of defending their territory and food source, the Rufous hummingbird practices what is known as peripheral feeding.  What is this?  Peripheral feeding is when the Rufous hummingbirds head out to the edge of their territory early in the morning and feed on the flowers that are found there first.  The hummingbirds will feed their on a first- come-first-serve basis as a way to avoid what is known as "territory parasites."

"Territory parasites" is the term used to discribe other hummingbirds which would steal food wherever they  can and thus endanger the food supply and ultimately the life of the Rufous hummingbird.

If you are looking for a bush to add to your yard, I would like to suggest the Rose of Sharon.  Your ability to select this bush will depend largely on where you live, as this bush is known to do well in zones 5-9 of the country.  Here is some further information about this bush that will help you deciede if this bush is something you would like to add to your yard as a way to attract more hummingbirds to your yard.

Normally, Rose of sharon bushes will be between 8-10 feet tall and have a spread of between 4-6 feet.  However there are some varieties of this bush that will only reach a height of between 5-8 feet tall.  The blooms of this bush can come in a wide variety of colors including:  light blue, lavender, red or white.  The Rose of Sharon often blooms late in the summer as well as leafs out late in the summer, so do not give up if it takes longer then you expect for this to occur.

If you wish to give this bush its desired shape, you can do so by pruning it in the winter of its first two growing seasons.  This will give the bush one main truck, which is why many people tend to refer to this bush as a tree.

The Rose of sharon bush does best when placed in full sun and well drained soil.  If you have an older Rose of sharon bush that is not doing very well, the problem may be caused by fungal damange because the bush has not been placed in an area where there is full sun.

Verbena is a plant which is which is known to attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and even small song birds, because of its nectar, seeds and small insects.This plant is long blooming, lavender-flowered, and grows to approximately 5 ft. tall.

Most varieties of verbena plants will begin blooming in the summer and will continue to do so until the first frost occurs. The flowers of this plant come in a wide variety of colors including solid and bicolored blooms which include red, purple, white, yellow, orange, and peach with generally white or cream colored eyes.

This plant tends to do quite well in containers or hanging baskets. This plant will tolerate a wide range of soils as long as it is well drained. This plant usually does best in areas that are sunny but verbena can also tolerate partial shade as well.

Verbena is a plant which requires very little maintenance other than periodic watering and occasional pruning in order to help maintain its shape if the gardener wants bushier, less trailing growth. In order to encourage the plant to continue to bloom, you should deadhead and prune the plant back.

Do you enjoy gardening and birdwatching?  If so, why not combine these two interest or hobbies in an effort to help you be more effective at attracting the hummingbirds to your yard.  With this in mind, set about creating a hummingbird garden in your yard.  Both you and the hummingbirds will be happy that you did so, because the yard will contain a wide variety of brightly colored flowers or pants that you will enjoy viewing and the hummingbird will then also have a natural source of nectar on which to feed.

You will want to create a hummingbird garden that contains the following elements.  Having these things will help ensure that your garden will be a success with the hummingbirds.  The elements are the following:

• Diversity:  You want the plants to have a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colors, etc.
• Attractiveness of the foliage
• Easy to plant and maintain : This will make you want do the necessary work that the garden will require to maintain over time. 
• Plants that bloom at different times:  This will ensure that there will be something on which for the birds to feed.
• Offer a wide variety of color choices within the various plant species you select.
• The bloom should have a showiness about it, as this will help capture the hummingbirds attention.

Doing the things listed above will help ensure that your hummingbird garden is a huge hit with the hummingbirds and it will also be the envy of your neighbors.  So once you have finished creating the hummingbird garden of your dreams, sit back and admire your hard work and be rewarded with so many hummingbirds who will also enjoy your efforts on their behalf.