Firebush, Hamelia patens
By Peg Lindsay Something unusual has been happening in our garden this summer. All summer long we’ve had a hummingbird visitor in our garden. The rangemaps for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds show central Florida as the southern limit of its breeding range. So, while our area is within the summer range, most of the birds of this species nest further north and we see them only in migration (spring and fall). Juvenile male Ruby-throated Hummingbird nectaring on firebush What brings this little visitor to our garden are the abundance and varieties of nectar-producing Florida-native wildflowers we have added to our landscape. The hummer’s favorites: - Lonicera sempervirens , coral honeysuckle (a vine) - Salvia coccinea , tropical sage (a self-seeding annual) - Hamelia patens , firebush (a shrub) The first year that we had a hummingbird visitor, I quickly put out the hummingbird feeder. The birdie sipped once and then went back to the firebush, n...