The Ruby-Throated

Watching the aerial maneuvers of hummingbirds as they fly every which way and backwards is a delight. There are sixteen species of hummingbirds found in the United States, but only three can be seen in Florida. The ruby-throated hummingbird is the star of the Florida summer garden. If you see one with a white throat, that is the female and not a different species. The other two species, the rufous and black-chinned, are more elusive and only seen in Florida in the winter.

These small but mighty birds weigh about one-fourth of an ounce yet beat their wings between 50 and 200 times per second. They fly an average of 23 miles a day on their return from Mexico and South America to Florida in March. However, some make their home in South Florida year-round. Nests about the size of walnut shells are constructed in April from lichens, moss, and spider webs. Two small eggs are incubated for twenty days, and the babies take about a month to fledge from the time they hatch.

Keep Those Feeders Clean!

After leaving the nest, hummingbirds feed primarily on nectar but continue to eat small insects for protein. Nectar is a high-energy food source, and they may visit hundreds of blossoms a day to drink. At night they go into a hibernation-like state where their heart rate and body temperature lower so they can survive without the near-constant feeding. Putting a feeder out with a 1:4 sugar-to-water solution can help them, but it takes commitment on your part to keep it clean and stocked with fresh syrup. Place your feeder in the shade and clean it out every three to five days with hot water and vinegar.

Alternatively, you can grow plants to attract them and provide them with the resources they need. They favor plants that bloom in red, orange, and pink with tubular flower shapes. The best gardens for hummingbirds will have something blooming for them from spring through fall. Several of our native Florida plants are perfect choices for them.

Native Plants to Attract Hummingbirds

If you have room, the red buckeye is a beautiful large shrub that blooms in spring and then feeds squirrels with the fruit that follows. Firebush is an excellent choice for hummingbirds, even though hard winters may knock it back to the ground. It blooms spring to fall, and I see hummers on them all the time at the Extension office. They will also visit red star hibiscus, which can take wet soils and blooms late summer to early fall. It’s a great plant to support bees as well. Cut back the hollow dead stems to about 24 inches tall and leave them for our cavity-nesting bees.

In the vine category, we have coral honeysuckle, which is a magnificent plant that will be loaded with flowers spring to summer if planted in a sunny spot. There’s also trumpet vine and cross vine. I am newly in love with cross vine after the

one at my house put on a great show this spring.

For smaller gardens, use scarlet sage, which blooms spring to fall and is very drought tolerant. For moist soils, plant cardinal flower. I saw a beautiful stand of cardinal flower growing at the water’s edge in Silver Springs State Park this summer. Fun fact: Cardinal flower depends on hummingbirds for pollination. Even if you have a shady yard, you can still plant columbine, which is a known hummer attractor.

Whether you go the feeder route or the passive flower garden route, I hope your garden is graced by these beautiful birds all summer long.

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