The love Salvias and Bee Balm;see the link below.

FYI, please tell your wife that red feeder solution is NOT necessary, and is potentially harmful to the Hummingbirds. It is best to just mix 4 parts water to 1 part sugar for the solution.
See this article

Here is a link that might be useful: Top Hummingbird Plants

Jobird, thanks for the reply and concern. I ask my wife what she uses. She said she no longer used the red stuff. She does in fact use sugar water. We didn't know that it was harmful to use the red stuff though. So thanks for pointing that out. I'll make sure she knows.

Hi reeperzhemi,

This is a list for us up north, but there's a few you can use too. I have instructions on how to grow plants from cuttings on "My Page". It will help you increase the number of hummingbird plants you have.

Aesculus horse chestnut & buckeye
Agastache cana
Aquilegia - columbine
Asclepias tuberosa butterfly milkweed
Buddleia - butterfly bush purple, red, yellow
Campsis radicans - trumpet vine
Canna lily
Chelone - turtlehead
Crocosmia red
Cuphea
Delphinium - Larkspur
Dicentra - bleeding heart
Digitalis - Foxglove
Eccremocarpus scaber - Chilean glory vine
Fuchsia 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt' single flower
Heuchera - coral bells
Impatiens capensis  jewelweed
Ipomoea - red morning glory
Ipomoea multifida - cardinal climber
Ipomoea quamoclit - cypress vine
Kniphofia - red hotpoker
Kolkwitzia - beauty bush
Lantana
Lobelia - cardinal flower
Lonicera sempervirens - coral honeysuckle
Mimulus cardinalis - monkey flower
Mirabilis jalapa four-o'clock
Monarda didyma - bee balm, bergamot
Monarda fistulosa - horsemint, wild bergamot
Penstemon barbatus - scarlet bugler
Penstemon ovatus
Penstemon strictus - rocky mountain penstemon
Penstemon virens
Pentas
Phygelius capensis - cape fuchsia
Physostegia virginiana - obedient plant
Salvia coccinea - Texas sage
Salvia elegans - pineapple sage
Salvia greggii
Salvia guaranitica  black & blue sage
Silene virginica fire pink
Spigelia marilandica
Zinnias

Don't forget abutilon (flowering maple). The are magnificent for attracting hummingbirds and depending on your zone, they'll bloom practically year round.

Sorry I should have said what zone. I'm new to this gardening stuff...ha ha I live just west of Atlanta, GA.

Jimmyjojo that is very helpful as all the post are. Can't believe I'm getting excited about working in flowers...ha ha But ya have to love watching the little hummers.

I'll keep reading and researching and hopefully have some nice pics next year to share. At 42 years old my wife and I are just starting to enjoy this type of stuff.

Thanks again.

jimmyjojo's list is very good. I highly recommend any of the Salvia coccineas, Salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue' and Lonicera Sempervirens commonly know as Coral Honeysuckle. These three will bloom all summer until the frost gets them. the Salvia coccineas will reseed, the Black & Blue may be hardy enough in Atlanta to come back each year and the coral honeysuckle will bloom until a hard freeze and come back in the spring.

I am also glad to here that you wife has switched to plain sugar/water

Penny

Reeperzhemi,

Pick the Abutilon pictum and not the hybird ones as they don't have nectar.

I can't believe no one here has offered you seeds yet.

Yall have been more than helpful. Thanks so much.

You have been given some very good suggestions for hummer attracting plants.

But no seeds, unfortunately.

LOL Thats ok Jimmyjojo.

I do have one more question though, when I find what I want and say they are in the little packet like at Home Depot, how long are the seeds good for in those packets? I know dumb question but I have no clue.....lol

I really don't know about the seeds. I ususally order my plants and bulbs or find them at local Lowes, Walmart, Home Depot or nurseries. Since you live in Georgia you will be able to find many of these plants abvaliable during the spring and summer.

Reeperzhemi,

That's the problem. I'm not sure what things are like in the US, but up here you can't buy "real" hummer plants. Seed companies like McKenzie and T&M don't sell the kind of seeds you need. You can only get them from other hummgardeners. This is suppose to be a seed exchange website. Forgive me, but it's taken me years to collect my meagre plants and seeds in Canada. But you guys in the US have access to dozens of "THE BEST" plants and seeds available.

Here's what you do. I'm sure Penny has invited you to her Hummer forum by now. There has got to be over 200 Hummgardeners there. Ask for these seeds in exchange for a "SASBE" (Self Addresses Stamped Bubble Envelope):

phygelius capensis
salvia praeclara
salvia coccinea
salvia subrotunda
Salvia clevelandii
Salvia coccinea
Salvia greggii
Salvia miniata
Salvia regla
Salvia spathacea

Mail the responder a bubble envelop with a self addressed label and stamps enough to get it back to you. Once you get your seeds, go to Wal-mart and get one of those seed trays with the clear cover lid and a bag of soil. Fill the cells, wet the soil, push the seeds in the soil (1/8 inch), put the clear cover on and put the whole tray in a warm place like on top of the fridge. After a couple weeks when the seeds start to germinate put the tray in a sunny window. You will have to check back after that because that's when it starts to get complicated. Just kidding... You will have to put the big sprouts in a bigger pot after a month or so.

I'll be amazed if no one on that forum doesn't send you some seeds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Penny's Forum

Try the Seed Exchange Forum on this site! There is a specific spot of GW just for seed exchanges. It is a busy forum with very generous folks on it. Every trade I have made on there was sent with many extra varieties of seeds. Often, you don't even need to trade, just reimbursement of postal charges. You can check my trade list if you want, I'd be happy to send you some. My seeds are last years, though. But make sure if you trade that you follow their rules on packaging. Not everyone is so strict, but some are. Good luck!! Christy :)

Most seeds even those that are packaged commercially will be viable for at least 2 or 3 yrs as long as they are stored in a cool dry place. One thing I would like to stress with seeds particularly salvias. If they have been open pollinated which is usually the case with those offered by hummer gardeners, they may not come true b/c they tend to cross pollinate very easily. If you want plants that are true then it is best to get young starter plants. For salvias I highly recommend Rich Dufresne's website A World of Salvias. He is a plant breeder and specializes in salvias. There are many excellent online sources for plants that you may not be able to find locally. Mailorder Natives is an excellent source for many native trees, shrubs and vines including coral honeysuckle and excellent prices.

I try to do as many of my plants from seed or cuttings and then start checking out the plant catalogs.

Penny

Mailorder Natives is a great place to order plants from. I have ordered from them for two years and am very pleased. I will be ordering a few more plants this spring to add to what I already have.

Mimidi,
we are going to take your credit card away and send you to shoppers anonymous LOL!

penny

I know. I will be ordering a few of the same plants I already have that have done well for me.

Almost Eden is another good nursery to order from.

Hummingbird Bush
Mexican Fire Bush
Turk's Cap
Coral Porterweed
Indian Pinks
Newels Red Cestrum

These will be perennials in your zone.

Here is a link that might be useful: Almost Eden

Almost Eden has some awsome hummer plants I just wish more were hardy in zone 6 :(

Penny

Reeperzhemi,

Don't listen to that, you'll just spend WAY more than you need to.

Thanks to all for the help. I'm so glad I found this web site. I've already learned a lot from yall.

Very nice web site Penny! I've went on for a short visit and a little reading while at work. Seems like very nice people as they are here.

I'll be trying to come up with some seeds. I'd feel better if I have something to trade with others. But yall are very kind.

One more question, the seeds people get from thier own plants. How or what are the seeds? My mother n Law has a gorgous plan for hummers....he he he I'll be radeing her garden for sure....lol

Look forward to talking with yall more in the future. I'm sure I'm going to have plenty of questions. :)

reeperzhemi
You shouldn't feel uncomfortable because you may not have seeds to share. Many of us started out by getting seeds for other hummer gardeners and as our plants grew, flowered and produced seed we were able to exchange for more seeds. I started out with one salvia about 5 yrs. ago and no seeds now I have people coming to my yard to check out my plants because many of them are virtually unknown here. I have even taken some of my hummer plants to a local nursery.

with regards to your question about our own seeds. Do you mean how do we collecti the seed? If so then the answer is that it depends enirely on the type of plant as to where the seed is located. Some seed is very easily identified while others are more difficult. Some plants disperse their seed as soon as it is ripe and others hold onto it for the duration. Salvias are very easy to collect. There is a little cup called a calyx at the base of the flower. when the flower dies and falls off the seed will develop if it has been pollinated. When the calyx turns brown and dries, the shiny dark brown seeds will release from the cup and roll out. Some plants sunch as the impatiens species will develop pods after the flowers fall off. again the pod will start to turn brown and the pod will split open or 'explode' in your hand releasing the seeds. Other seeds are encased in a berry that forms after the flowers are faded. The berries usually turn black and start to dry and then the seeds can be removed....it is all a learning experience.

Penny

Penny,
Thank you for your comment. I feel better....lol

Yes, thats exactly what I wanted to know about the seeds. Learned something else and have much more to learn...lol

Mike

Mike, I started collecting seeds last year. I found this website that helped me out. If you click the 'Seed and seed pods' it will take you to pictures of the seeds and seed pods, how long they take to germinate, when to plant, and what the plant looks like when it starts to grow. Good luck!! Christy

Here is a link that might be useful: The Seed Site