Or the upside down Turk's Cap! AKA, Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii is a favorite for both the Cinnamon and the Plain Capped Starthroat Hummingbirds. Funny though, the other hummers ignore it, at least in the garden and since it grows wild throughout the farm, they may use it elsewhere!



This is a Plain-capped Star Throat showing her reverse side.

What a nice picture Patricia! I really do like those little blossoms

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Thanks, Penny. I just added a photo of another species of bird eating a fruit from this tree, on the Feathered Friend' page. I had also 'posted' a request to you on the seed exchange, but guess you missed it.

Pretty picture, Patricia. I didn't know that hummer had white on her back! Nancy gave me a bit of that plant, can't wait for it to take off. She has a nice bed of it in front of her front door porch.

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Patricia, the plant generally called 'Sleeping Hibiscus' here is the larger-flowered Malvaviscus pendulaflora, such as the one that Joan photographed at Melanie's yesterday. Those with red flowers are most popular, but I have seen several pink ones. The one Joan photographed had just a tip of one large branch flowering red while the rest of the plant flowered pink. This is a nice plant for those who have lots of space though it is not heavily used by our hummers, which generally have shorter bills than the Plain-capped Starthroat. It is attractive to wintering orioles and nectar-eating warblers such at the Orange-crowned.

One problem with common names is that the name is often used for several plants. The smaller-flowered plant [Malvaviscus drummondii] that you show is a better hummer attractor for us in Louisiana. At least along the coast of Louisiana and Texas, it flowers seasonally and is a major nectar source for southward migrating Ruby-throateds. As Joan mentioned, I have it growing across the entire front of the house.

I have yet a third type of Malvaviscus that is not identified to species. It is more like the the Malvaviscus drummondii, but it gets much larger, has larger flowers, and more nectar. This plant also tolerates cold better than either of its 'cousins'.

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Nancy L Newfield
Casa Colibrí
Metairie, Louisiana USA
USDA Zone 9