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Hummingbird Garden

Feeding on sunflowers?

16 years ago

My rubies have ignored the red and blue salvia I planted, but I just saw at least one repeatedly poke at a sunflower for over 30 sec and come back for more after a few minutes. Do they really feed on sunflowers, or was it maybe just a wild and crazy adolescent experimenting?

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Comments (5)

ctnchpr
16 years ago
Maybe it was eating insects?
hummersteve
16 years ago
I agree that it was most likely gathering insects.
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luvtoogarden
16 years ago
I have been seeing hummers feeding at my Mexican Sunflowers recently. I didn't notice them doing it last year, but they multiply on their own. There are quite a few blooms in the garden...they are supposed to be an excellent butterfly nectar plant.
Tarilyn:)
tima9209
Original Author
16 years ago
Interesting! I may have to sacrifice a sunflower, cut into it, and see if it's sweet. :) I kind of have a sunflower forest right now around one of my feeders, with 8' (and growing) sunflowers.
mbuckmaster
16 years ago
Tithonia (Mexican sunflowers) have been reported to be used by hummers. They're great to have around for a number of reasons, and this is one of them!

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