Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2002 13:45:34 -0800
From: John MacGregor <jonivy@EARTHLINK.NET>
Reply-To: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast
<HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu>
To: HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu
Subject: [HUMNET-L] Cannas for hummingbirds

Canna Lovers,

One of my great passions is hummingbirds. I try to acquire any good
hummingbird nectar plants I can find to plant in the various gardens I care
for. I would like to expand my selection of cannas that are real
hummingbird magnets.

Not all cannas produce enough nectar to attract hummers in gardens where
other good nectar-producing plants are flowering or feeders are present.
People who have many different cannas in their gardens should be able to
tell right away which ones hummingbirds like best. Right now, the cannas I
have that hummers visit regularly are the Longwood water canna 'Ra', 'Black Knight', Johnny Johnson's 'Firecracker', and my own seedling 'Scarlet
Flame'. Of course, they occasionally visit other varieties, but most
modern, large-flowered cannas produce only a very small volume of nectar, if
any.

I also have recently acquired "Canna aff[inity] lumbautum" from Yocca Do
Nursery in Texas (no longer offered by them), sent to me by hummingbird
expert Nancy Newfield. For her, in Louisiana, it grows up to 6 feet tall
(even though the catalog description said its flower spikes grow only 12-18
inches tall and the plant to only 4 feet). Apparently, this was collected
near San Carlos, Tamaulipas, at an altitude of 3,200 feet. Yucca Do's
nomenclature for cannas is very strange. "Lumbautum' is not a valid
botanical name; it's not even correct Latin. I suppose this is an
approximation for Canna limbata Roscoe, which is now considered to be Canna
indica var. limbata Petersen. But this species form is native to Brazil and
has greenish-yellow flowers. The Yucca Do catalog and Nancy describe the
flowers of this one as orange-red. It has not yet bloomed for me, but I suspect that it is simply a Canna indica form. Does anyone have any further
thoughts about this one? Nancy says the hummers are willing to die for it.

One which I would like to acquire is 'Hummingbird Extasy" from Ty Ty. Does
anyone on this list have this? Does it really attract hummers?

It would be very helpful to me if all New World members of this group would
post a list of the cannas that are most popular with hummingbirds IN YOUR
GARDEN. It would also be useful to know which species of hummers they
attract.

Thanks!

John MacGregor
South Pasadena, CA 91030
USDA zone 9 Sunset zones 21/23

====================

Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2002 18:13:43 -0500
From: Karen & Andy Taylor <kataylor@JERSEY.NET>
Reply-To: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast
<HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu>
To: HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu
Subject: Re: [HUMNET-L] Cannas for hummingbirds

John/Humnet,
I only grow "The President" Cannas. Bright or/red and edged with
yellow. It blooms summer till frost and the Ruby-throated love it.
I have seen a Selas hummer (possible Allen's) in 98 use it and a
Rufous in 99-00 couldn't get enough of it. I have a digital pic of it
if you want it.

Karen Taylor
Blackwood, NJ
Zone 6