A year ago, I was attending the Chocolate Festival at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Overwhelmed by the crowd, I took a short walk into the “lowlands” of the garden—an area I rarely explore unless searching for the resident crocodile.

But suddenly, I heard an unusual chorus of birds twittering. Not just any birds—hummingbirds! I’m used to hearing one or two now and then, but this was something different—multiple hummingbirds fiercely darting around, engaged in aerial battles. Something I have not seen outside of the mountains of Costa Rica! Intrigued, I tracked down the source.

Along the lakeside, I found a nondescript thicket of green shrubs. There, six to eight hummingbirds flitted aggressively around a single cluster of plants. Puzzled, I moved closer and noticed greenish-yellow flowers resembling small hibiscus blooms. The birds were going absolutely wild over them. I had never seen hummingbirds so fixated on a plant before. I snapped some photos and went home to identify the species.

After some research, I discovered that these incredible hummingbird magnets were the imperiled rare, native Pavonia paludicola—also known as Swampbush or Mangrove Mallow and the nonnative (but Florida-Friendly, doesn’t hybridize or reseed) Bahama Swampbush Pavonia bahamensis. Despite their effectiveness as nectar sources, there was surprisingly little information available on these plants outside of a few social media posts.

Excited, I have since tracked down both plants and added them to our bioswale at Twin Lakes Park, where they have thrived—even through recent cold spells—providing a near-constant nectar source for hummingbirds.

The Hidden Gem of Hummingbird Plants

Pavonia paludicola is an endangered species native to extreme South Florida, primarily found along the western edge of Biscayne Bay, as well as in Collier and mainland Monroe Counties. This hardy plant thrives in moist soils and can even tolerate heavy saltwater exposure. In fact, its seeds are naturally spread by ocean currents, making it one of the few flowering shrubs capable of growing among mangroves. If you live near a tidal waterway, this plant is a top choice for a resilient, pollinator-friendly addition to your landscape.

Despite its somewhat rangy growth habit—reaching up to 15 feet but manageable with annual pruning—Swampbush continuously produces its distinctive yellow-green flowers. These blooms keep going even with cold weather, when popular native hummingbird plants like Firebush stop flowering. Notably, renowned Florida naturalist Roger Hammer, yes, the same guy that brought back Atala butterflies from extinction, has observed hummingbirds aggressively defending Swampbush over other nectar sources, proving its unparalleled value in a pollinator garden. Hammer’s Facebook post in the great Florida Flora and Ecosystematic’s group was one of the only sources of information I could find on these plants along with a great newsletter for the Florida Native Plant Society.

Why Hummingbirds Love It—Even Without Red Flowers

Many people assume that hummingbirds are drawn to red flowers. While it’s true that many hummingbird-attracting plants are red, this is actually thought to be an evolutionary adaptation to avoid nectar theft by bees. Bees have trouble seeing red, so plants with tubular flowers that rely on hummingbird pollination often evolved red petals to avoid attracting bees, which can cut into the base of the flower and steal nectar without pollinating.

Swampbush, despite its greenish-yellow blooms, is still irresistible to hummingbirds because it produces abundant nectar and pollen. Interestingly, hummingbirds don’t just sip the nectar—they also consume the pollen according to Hammer, making this plant even more beneficial for them. When grown alongside Pavonia bahamensis, another high-performance nectar plant, the combination can turn any garden into a hummingbird hotspot.

A Must-Have for Florida Pollinator Gardens

If you’re looking to attract hummingbirds, Swampbush is one of the very best plants you can grow in South Florida. It flourishes in wet conditions, thrives with salt, blooms persistently year-round, and serves as an unmatched hummingbird magnet. It might not be the showiest plant, but when placed in the background or mixed with other tall, bushy shrubs, it creates the perfect environment for supporting these energetic little birds.

For those interested in preserving native species while providing a much-needed food source for hummingbirds, Pavonia paludicola is a rare gem worth seeking out. Whether you live near coastal waters or simply want to enhance your garden’s pollinator appeal, this plant deserves a spot in your landscape. You just might find yourself, like I did at Fairchild Garden, mesmerized by the sheer number of hummingbirds battling for their turn at its blooms.

Resources

• Miami-Dade 2016 Florida Native Plant Society newsletter article by Roger Hammer (best read for info): https://dade.fnpschapters.org/data/uploads/newsletters/2016/11.pdf
• The Institute for Regional Conservation on Swampbush (P. paludicola): https://www.regionalconservation.org/ircs/database/plants/PlantPage.asp?TXCODE=Pavopalu
• USF Plant Atlas on Swampbush (P. paludicola): https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/plant/species/3588
• The Institute for Regional Conservation on Bahama Swampbush (P. bahamensis): https://www.regionalconservation.org/ircs/database/plants/PlantPageBAH.asp?TXCODE=Pavobaha
• Hummingbird and Bee Color Preference Study: https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/214/9/1607/10709/Avoidance-of-achromatic-colours-by-bees-provides-a

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