With the occasional spring rain and the Rio Grande flowing again, the insect population is recovering, providing a food source for breeding hummingbirds. Flower nectar is also valuable, especially for migrating hummingbirds. In the Mesilla Valley, few summer-flowering native hummingbird plants are available, but nearby Texas has some beautiful and tough near-natives that can be grown in a half to full day of sun.
Red Yucca, Flame Acanthus, and Rock Penstemon
Red yucca, also known as hesperaloe, is a native of south-central Texas and is now a mainstay of gardens across the Southwest. It provides valuable nectar for hummingbirds from midspring into midsummer. Flame acanthus, also referred to as ‘Mexican Fire,’ is a large shrub from west Texas that bursts out in spring and blooms by the end of June, continuing to flower until the first hard freeze in fall. Rock penstemon, another beauty from west Texas, has nodding, cherry red blooms that attract hummingbirds all summer long and often well into fall.
These plants can heighten the hummingbird appeal of a landscape and augment the available nectar resources for these birds. By incorporating these plants into a landscape, individuals can provide for the birds and invite them into their lives.
Original reporting: Las Cruces Sun News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
