Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Monday - July 14, 2008

From: Waxahachie, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Part shade garden to attract hummingbirds in Texas
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

We are inexperienced gardeners. We have a bed (2.5' x 6') with sun in the morning and shade in afternoon and want to attract hummingbirds. Salvia coccinea sounds easy, but what else could we plant there that would keep the bed looking good year round?

ANSWER:

Always thinking ahead, Mr. Smarty Plants has prepared a list of hummingbird plants for Central Texas. We will list a few of our special favorites, but look at the whole list, follow the links to the webpages and check for yourself how much sun each one requires, when it blooms and for how long. We would call the amount of sun exposure you have sun to part shade. You don't have a very big space, so be careful not to get it overcrowded so that the big plants shade out the little ones. Most of the hummingbird plants on the list are perennial, and they will come back and get bigger every year.

Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii (Wright's desert honeysuckle)

Ipomopsis rubra (standing-cypress)

Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii (wax mallow)

Salvia greggii (autumn sage)

Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii

Ipomopsis rubra

Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii