Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 13:16:43 EST
From: Ron Rovansek <Rrovansek@AOL.COM>
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] Nancy's Vervain

John,
Nancy's Vervain is a vervain that many of us got from, you guessed it, Nancy. It is a stachytarpheta species with fairly large (compared to some
otherstachytarphetas) purple flowers. This plant is called Smuggler's vervain
by HUMNETters, and is used as a landscape plant in Central America including, famously, at the home of Alexander Skutch, who has written a number of books that describe hummingbird habits. Skutch describes many exotic species of hummingbirds visiting stachytarpheta, which gives the plant a sort of romance, in addition to its innate appeal as a hummingbird favorite.

This plant isn't frost hardy, but otherwise blooms all the time and grows in
sun or shade. It will reach 5 or 6 feet at least, and I believe taller in the
tropics. The flowers don't look very much like a typical
hummingbird-pollinated flower, but that doesn't deter the hummingbirds.

Ron Rovansek
Huntington Beach, CA

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

Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 20:26:56 -0600
From: Nancy L Newfield <colibri@WEBDSI.COM>
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] Nancy's Vervain

I've shared a number of vervains with Tony, so I'm not sure which one he's
calling "Nancy's Vervain". There are two types with purple flowers, one
with pink flowers and another with red flowers. The two purple ones are
probably the same species [or hybrid combination], but there are some
distinct differences between the two. There is a bright, but pale version
that I've seen in Trinidad. The throat of the flower has a prominent white
spot. Each flower stalk produces flowers that open successively from the
bottom of the stalk, 2-4 at a time. It is very tender and subject to wind
damage. The flowers will shrivel at 45ºF. In Trinidad, it is called
"vervine".

The Costa Rican version of this plant has deep purple flowers. The manner
of blossoming is similar to the one with pale flowers, but 4-8 flowers
might be open at any time. It is somewhat less tender and subject to wind
damage. English-speaking people in Costa Rica call it "vervain".

In the first part of his autobiography "The Imperative Call", botanist
Alexander Skutch details establishing his farm in the Valle del General in In the first part of his autobiography "The Imperative Call", botanist
Alexander Skutch details establishing his farm in the Valle del General in
southern Costa Rica in the late 1930s. He mentions seeing native [not
exotic] hummingbirds feeding from a fine purple-flowered Stachytarpheta
[which he doesn't identify to species] in gardens of the area. Skutch
begged cuttings from numerous householders and he established a tremendous
hedge of it. When I last visited him in 1993, the hedge was still present
and I saw several species of hummers there.

The information I've gotten about these plants is conflicting. One
naturalist in Costa Rica tells me it is Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, while a
gardener says it is a hybrid. Don't know who to believe. I have seen a
pink version in Costa Rica that appears to be a just a different color variety.

There is also a pink Stachytarpheta that I've seen labelled Stachytarpheta
speciosa at the New Orleans Botanical Garden. It is a larger plant than
the purple-flowered confections and in my garden has been somewhat more
cold-hardy as well. Still, it will croak with a hard freeze. In
Venezuela, I saw it growing as tall as 10 feet.

The red Stachytarpheta came from Banting's Nursery in New Orleans. It is
labelled "Dwarf Red Vervain". I only got it in October and some of the
hummers really liked it. I have no idea of its genetic heritage, but I
don't think it likes cold very much. I have it in a pot, but it is struggling.

The plants mentioned here are all quite different from the smallish,
blue-flowered plant sold as "porterweed". I've had that too, but have
never seem much hummer interest in it.

NLN

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

Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 13:21:37 -0600
From: Van Remsen <najames@unix1.sncc.lsu.edu>
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] Nancy's Vervain

HUMNET -- perhaps it was mentioned at the start of the thread on these
Stachytarpheta spp., but just in case ... The purple and coral
Stachytarpheta are both first-rate hummingbird flowers. In fact, when I
was doing quantitative preference trials, the purple one was WAY ahead of
any other plant in the garden on per-blossom visits by Ruby-throats. The
coral one is at least as good -- I just didn't have it back then. These
plants are the most frequently visited plants in my garden (actually, mine
are mostly in pots). They are also heavily used by butterflies,
especially a little long-tailed skipper in Fall.

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

Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 19:21:30 -0600
Reply-To: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast <HUMNET-L@LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: [HUMNET-L] Porterweed

Humnet,

At 06:31 PM 12/16/2002 -0500, Barbara Wilson wrote:

>A friend just returned from Costa Rica, with pictures of a plant that the
>hummers just went nuts over. Turns out the plant was purple
>Porterweed. I have tried to grow this plant
>here in Houston outside, but every winter no matter what I do to cover it,
>it gets frost bitten and dies back. Never returns from the roots. Has
>anyone had good success in overwintering Porterweed in southern
>climes? Do our hummersnectar on it as much as the tropical hummers? Any
>experiences welcomed.

This is the plant that is sometimes called "Smuggler's Vervain"
[Stachytarpheta jamaicensis] on Humnet. I don't know why. We have a
lightish purple one that came from Trinidad [where it is called Vervine]
and a darker one from Costa Rica [where it is called Vervain]. I refuse to
use the term "porterweed". Down here in New Orleans, it comes back once in
a while, but usually has to be replanted. Both varieties are killer
attractants for our hummers. There is a pink or coral variety
[Stachytarpheta speciosa] that is somewhat more cold-hardy - and just as
good, if not better, than the purple.

In the second volume of his autobiography "Naturalist on a Tropical Farm",
Alexander Skutch discussed how he grew a hedge of it in the late 1930s by
getting cuttings from other residents of the Valle de General. He wrote
that at some point, the hedge became so large and overgrown that he had to
trim it and it was never as good for attracting hummers. Don't you believe
it! I last visited Dr. Skutch in 1993 and the hedge is still there and
still attracting lots of hummers.

When I travel in Costa Rica, I make sure I am near the Vervain hedge as the
sun rises each dawn. It is also a popular landscaping plant in other
tropical regions I've visited.

NLN

***************************
Nancy L Newfield
Casa Colibrí
Metairie, Louisiana USA
<colibri@webdsi.com>
***************************