Rufous hummingbird
MADE FOR EACH OTHER
A hummingbird's long tongue, which can extend to about twice the length of its bill, is perfectly adapted to salvia's long tubular flowers.
1 Hummingbird Falls Bodacious salvia
SALVIA X GUARANITICA, ZONES 7 TO 8 OR ANNUAL
Bodacious is one of the first salvias for hanging baskets. Its draping quality makes it a perfect spiller or ground cover. It reaches 2 feet tall while spreading up to 3 feet wide. The blossoms appear in spring and bloom continuously through fall in full sun to part shade. Use as an annual in cool climates.
Why we love it:
You'll easily spot visiting hummingbirds when this salvia is hung at eye level.
2 Rose Rhapsody Ballet meadow sage
SALVIA PRATENSIS, ZONES 3 TO 9
The soft pink blooms have a hooded appearance and make wonderful cut flowers. Rose Rhapsody welcomes deadheading in spring and can be easily divided to plant elsewhere in the garden. Grow in a spot with consistent moisture for best results. It has an upright form and attracts hummingbirds and bees, while also being deer resistant.
Why we love it:
The plant tolerates heat and humidity as well as a range of soils.
3 Heatwave Breeze salvia
SALVIA MICROPHYLLA X GREGGII, ZONES 6 TO 10 OR ANNUAL
This cultivar has an upright and rounded habit that reaches a height and width of 2 to 3 feet. The rich purple blooms welcome hummingbirds with their large tubular shape. After the first flush of blooms, trim the plant back to encourage even more flowers.
Why we love it: Developed as a water-wise plant, Breeze needs well-draining soil and tolerates drought.
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Sense or Nonsense? - Why some birds can taste and smell - but others can't
Does a porcelain berry taste like a blueberry to a gray catbird? Does a block of lard smell like frying bacon to a northern flicker? The short answer is no. While some avian species do have a well-adapted sense of taste or smell, they can't distinguish between flavors and odors the way humans can. They're not picking up every ingredient in the suet you put out, says José Ramírez-Garofalo, an ornithology researcher at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the director of Freshkills Biological Station in Staten Island, New York.
Maple Mania - Amazing facts about this fall foliage mainstay
Amazing facts about this fall foliage mainstay
Food-Focused and Fierce - Meet Canada jays and learn why they eat almost anything they can find
Even if you haven't heard of Canada jays, you've heard of their relatives. Members of the corvid family, they belong to the same group as American crows, blackbilled magpies, and jays including blue, Steller's and scrub. "Unlike many of the other jays, a Canada jay doesn't have a crest of any kind; it just has a rounded head," says Dale Gentry, director of conservation for Audubon Upper Mississippi River.In 2018, the Canada jay's name was changed from gray jay, but Dale thinks the former adjective was fitting. "Most of its body is shades of gray with some white," he says. "There are different subspecies that have different physical traits, but most of them have some lighter coloring on their foreheads, upper breasts and throats, each with a darker streak that starts at each eye and goes back."
IN GOOD COMPANY
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