The first Saturday in September is National Hummingbird Day, though which nation it is celebrating it, the calendars I have found refuse to say. They’re a charismatic creature and it’s no surprise people like to look out for them. What did surprise me is how far north they’re recorded. Hummingbirds Canada includes observations in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden then the right plants can help. Hummingbirds Canada recommends a lot of plants, but you’ll find a lot share a similar feature. They tend to be red flowers, with tubes but, as Chicago Botanic Garden points out, they’re capable of feeding across a wider range of flowers than that.
It is possible that this flexibility in hummingbirds has meant they haven’t influenced plant evolution as strongly as insect pollinators have. A recent study found that while some plant lineages diversified after adapting to hummingbird pollination, some did not and in some diversity even reduced, which seems odd. One possible explanation is that hummingbirds with their longer range than insects have helped genes flow over greater areas, reducing speciation. With some species travelling up to a thousand miles as they migrate, they can cover a lot of distance.
How to Play
Six plants fill each row
each column, each box of six
no bloom may repeat
Tap an empty cell
then choose your plant from below
watch the garden grow
Or pick a plant first
then tap the cells where it goes
faster hands plant more
Red borders will warn
when two alike share a line
rethink and replant
Ticked plants rest complete
all six placed in rightful soil
fewer choices left
The clock starts to run
the moment your first plant falls
how swift is your hand?
Select a plant, then tap cells
Two ways to play: Tap an empty cell then pick a plant, or select a plant below then tap cells to place it.
Cover image: Ipomopsis aggregata by Benjamin Schwartz / iNaturalist CC BY-NC.
