Along the West Coast, unusually cold winter
temperatures damaged hummingbird favorites like bougainvillea and Mexican bush
sage. Now is the time to replant and
welcome hummingbirds back into your garden. Consider drought-tolerant natives such as California fushcia, monkey
flower, and lupine.
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Aloes thrive in
both desert and seaside areas and attract hummingbirds with their bright orange
blooms. Cottage gardeners may want to consider
butterfly bush, bee balm, penstemon and foxglove. Try cardinal climber for a fast-growing annual vine with small,
trumpet-shaped red flowers, and in the vegetable garden, plant scarlet runner
beans for their bright red flowers and edible beanpods.
Species most frequently seen along the West
Coast this time of year include Anna’s, Allen’s, Rufous, Costa’s, and
Black-Chinned hummingbirds.
To see a
thriving hummingbird garden in action, pack a picnic and head to a nearby
botanical garden such as Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas, Tucker Wildlife
Sanctuary in Modjeska Canyon, Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden in Claremont,
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, or the University of California Berkeley
Botanical Garden.