Hummersteve,

I'm not sure they're "hummingbird magnets," but I have seen hummers using oriental lilies. Years ago, before I was especially into hummingbird watching or feeding, I noticed our cat staring intently out the window. I followed his gaze and saw that he was staring at a hummingbird, dipping into one of my white, Casa Blanca oriental lilies. Last year, I put in mixed colors oriental lilies that I bought at K-Mart. They came in various shades of red and pink. I'm sorry to say that I didn't see any activity at them, but it's possible I could have missed it. They were right below my window with the feeders, though, so you'd think I would have seen feeding occurring. There's also Monarda didyma there, and I frequently saw hummingbirds nectaring from it, but not the lilies, which bloomed later in the season.

I just found a lily supplier website and they recommend particular varieties of lilies that they say are especially attractive to hummingbirds. Just scroll down the page a little, on the right side. I know that they like the native species like Lilium canadensis, etc, but apparently they are also drawn to some of the cultivated ones. All of the ones they list seem to be Asiatics, though, not Orientals. I'm sure they'd be more expensive than the ones at Lowe's, but if you like lilies, maybe you could consider ordering a few. I think I've seen "Viva" on sale before in a store (not Lowe's), but the others are probably harder to come by.

You may have inspired me to place an order for "Viva." I had vowed not to buy any more hummer plants, but after seeing that picture, I don't know if I can control myself. Now see what you started?!!!

Here is a link that might be useful: The Lily Garden--On-line Lily bulb supplier

Kristin

After reading your article , Im a little puzzled . As the article talks about orientals it says they dont flower till august, but the plant I saw had a flower wide open, wonder if it might have been an asiatic or crossed with such. I really was just interested in the plant for something flowering to appease them early in the year untill something else grows. Anyway the plants I saw were definitely marked oriental.

Steve get native columbine or Fuchsia Gartenmeister Bonstedt. They will definitely use the fuchsia and they will use the columbine too early on.

Penny

Hummersteve,

If those are oriental lilies, and they're blooming now, they must have been induced in some way to flower early. If you were to put them in the ground, they probably wouldn't flower before July or August next year. Even if they're mislabelled and are really Asiatics, they still wouldn't be blooming before June. I'm not sure they're the best hummingbird attractors, anyway, but they might work.

Penny's suggestion of native columbine is a much better choice for an early bloomer. They will definitely use those. I don't remember mine blooming before late April, though, so don't know how they would serve the purpose of a flower for right now. With columbines, it's fun to watch them fly underneath the flower with their bills pointed upwards, reaching up into the flower. Another nice thing about the native columbine is that you can collect seed from them in the summer, or let them fall and self-sow, and you'll get lots of baby plants. I just don't know where you'll find one in bloom right now.

As for the Gartenmeister Bonstedt idea, I have yet to see a plant offered locally in our area. Maybe it's different where you are. All I ever see are the more fancy dancy Fuchsia hybrids, and I haven't even seen those in the stores yet. I don't know if the hummers like the fancy hybrids as much as the Gartenmeisters.

When I looked in Lowe's and Home Depot earlier in the week, they had zilch in the way of flowering hummingbird plants. I don't know if they got anything in this weekend. I haven't checked.

If you have a need for early bloom, maybe you should buy something more permanent as sort of an investment in the future. Some of the earlier things are Pinxterbloom Azaleas, and Aesculus pavia--a small tree with red flower spikes. I think Lonicera sempervirens is also fairly early, but not this early.

They use Gartenmeisters regularly. The only Oriental Lily they use in my yard it the old fashioned Tiger Lily. It is a big dude growing 7 feet tall and can be a problem because it sheds dozens of bulblets per stem, every one of which wants to start a new lily. I have never seen hummingbirds use the trumpet shaped lilies. The east coast native Turks Cap Lily will attract hummers, but I'm not sure about the Asian versions of this genus

From what I have been told they will check out other lilies and MAY use them some if nothing else is available but it really isn't considered a good nectar source.

Penny

OK OK .. I get the point , they dont particularly like the lily. But I would be sure if that was all they had they would go for it. Last summer I even saw them checking out my tomato blooms, but I didnt have anything else flower wise that they wanted. This year will be different.

Hi Steve, I just have to add my two cents in here. A few years ago I had a couple of lilies (don't know if they were oriental or asiatic) outside my kitchen window. Most of the bloom period we had hummers visit the flowers so the following year my husband bought me a collection of 100 bulbs (yeah a little over board). Our lilies start blooming near the end of June right into fall as we have several different varieties now. Hummers visit all of them. I grow lots of flowers so I'm not sure what their first choice is but I do know they like lilies.

Bonny

Hi Bonny

Yes I should have just followed my instincts and bought the plant, wether it is a good nectar source or not or wether they would use it or not. It already had a flower open and according to the article its not supposed to bloom untill later in the year. As a rule hummers like tubular or trumpet shaped flowers.