Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2002 11:18:06 -0400
Reply-To: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast <HUMNET-L@LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>
From: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast <HUMNET-L@LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: [HUMNET-L] Verbena bonariensis

>on 7/18/02 3:28 PM, Stan, Apple Valley/St. Paul, MN [44.44N, -93.10W] at
>stan1bb@frontiernet.net wrote:
>
>> Hi John:
>>
>> With your talking about the nectar in the verbena
>> bonariensis,
>> do you have hummingbirds, in addition to butterflies? If
>> so,
>> how do your hummingbirds like the verbena bonariensis?
>
>Stan,
>
>Yes, the large gardens I care for are planted with many nectar plants for
>butterflies and hummingbirds, and there are a very few things that receive
>visits from both, like more than 20 varieties of Buddleia davidii, Vitex
>agnus-castus, and Verbena bonariensis. Admittedly, most butterfly plants
>don't produce enough nectar to satisfy hummingbirds, but if there aren't a
>lot of other things available they sometimes visit them. This summer I
have
>seen several hummingbirds feeding from V. bonariensis in the one garden
that
>has fewer rich hummingbird nectar plants, but in the garden that has good
>hummer plants everywhere, it isn't worth the energy they expend for the
>small return.
>
>John MacGregor
>South Pasadena, CA 91030
>USDA zone 9 Sunset zones 21/23

John,

Just to chime in on Verbena bonarensis---I have found it great for hummers,
super easy to grow, perennial here, and very nice-looking for those
concerned with aesthetics. It's locally availalbe.

It's so good, I worry that it might get to be invasive. Does it reseed?

Miriam

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

Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2002 08:34:17 -0700
Reply-To: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast <HUMNET-L@LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>
From: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast <HUMNET-L@LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: [HUMNET-L] Verbena bonariensis

--- MiriamLDavey <athena_9@BELLSOUTH.NET> wrote:

> It's so good, I worry that it might get to be
> invasive. Does it reseed?

I'm in z7 and it behaves as an annual for me (dies
down, including roots). However, it reseeds like it's
the end of the world! Where I had one or two
nursery-bought plants last year, I have dozens and
dozens this year -- everywhere within 6 feet of the
original location -- even after selective removal of
hundreds of seedlings this spring. While I pulled out
all that were coming up directly on my stonedust path,
I left almost all on the margins and in the beds. Now,
that part of my front yard looks like a dense meadow
of chest-high verbena bonariensis. You literally have
to part the way to travel on the path.

Pulling the seedlings is easy business. I find their
root system to be very shallow, at least when they're
young. Some I pulled were put elsewhere in the yard,
although they have a tendency to wilt with
transplanting.

Being a great see-through plant, it grows well among
others and doesn't hinder the view.

I wouldn't find myself without this plant, ever again.
The abundance of skippers that flit around makes you
cross-eyed.

Haji

=====
Haji Warf
Arlington, VA (1st suburb across the Potomac River from Washington, DC)