My mistake, sorry,Kirstin! Now, for some reason, I have started another post.

I got two purple plants in one day, and on my 'list' I reversed the names! I meant to say, on today's posting about the other blueish plant 'Achimenes longiflora' or 'Achimenes mexicana' which also flowers well in the shade.

Occasionally, the hummers have used both of them.

If I am not mistaken I was given this plant last year.

Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

I'm feeling kind of sleepy and confused! Achimenes versus Streptocarpella versus Streptocarpus. They're all relatives. Which species is/are in your photos?

I don't mean to get tedious about this, but I'm not sure I'm understanding which is which among your photos.

Here is a photo link to Achimenes longiflora. I'm hoping it's identified correctly since it's on a gesneriad website. To my inexpert eye, it looks different from your pictures.

http://www.gesneriads.ca/achime45.htm

Below is a photo link to a bunch of different gesneriads, including Streptocarpus and Streptocarpella. Your photos seem to resemble Streptocarpella the most, but I'm not completely sure.

http://www.gesneriasterna.se/eng/foto.php?start=SI&stop=ZZ

Regardless, I'm probably going to try some of these and maybe some other gesneriads and see how they do for me and how the hummingbirds like them. I'm sure others will be interested to hear about them, since they aren't grown as frequently as some of the other more common hummer plants that we talk about all the time.

I checked my list of plants and the picture Patricia posted is the one I have. It was given to me by a fellow hummingbird lover last spring. She has it in pots and in the ground. If I am not mistaken her's comes back each year planted in the ground. I will e-mail her and find out for sure.







Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Sunset Zone 31

Thanks, Dianne.

I will wait for the ID's from all the experts out there!
Realize that very seldom is a plant 'named' here!
I just know whether I like them! And, if the hummers use them.
I do have many plants in my garden, that the hummers ignore but I like them, so luckily there is room for both!

Patricia I know the feeling of having a plant just because you like it. It does help if the hummingbirds like it too. When I see all the proper names I just go blank. I hated Latin so much I think I have a mental block when it come to remembering all those scientific words.



Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

Your right Dianne. The plant I gave you is Achimenes. Can't narrow it down anymore than that, sorry. Got that one from my Grandma who lived just south of Atlanta and she called it "Star of India". I saw someplace on the Internet once that there is a whole group of "star of India" lovers in England. Yes it comes back every year, and yes it does grow in the ground for me, and return. I did see hummers at it last year, but I don't know how often since the plants weren't good positions for frequent observation. I know I saw a hummer at it more than once and he was spending alot of time at it. And that particular patch of plants was right beside my blue-black salvia. The achimenes I have reproduces extremely well. Those fragile little tubers break up easily. I'm convinced a new plant comes from every one of the scales that break apart. Tho, I must admit I haven't tried doing in intentional to get multiple plants. Haven't needed to. The only problem I've ever hade with the plant is that it tends to get brown spots on the leaves a bit later in the season. It is a mystery to me why it happens. Anyone who can shed light on that I would appreciate the info.

Thank you Dell. I do hope mine comes back, but if it doesn't I know where I can find a cutting or two. The way it mulitplies and grows it could be used as a ground cover. Even the ones you gave me mulitplied.

Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

Although I hadn't mentioned it, I was also thinking of getting some Achimenes. All of these sound like great shade plants: Streptocarpella, Streptocarpus and Achimenes. They're fairly similar, and I think they all have at least some potential to attract hummingbirds.

I have a nice core of proven hummingbird plants, blooming from spring until fall, so I don't have to worry about whether a given plant will get hummers. I agree that often it is nice just to have something that does well, and looks pretty in the right place. I think I have the right place for some of these shade plants. If they attract hummingbirds, so much the better!

As for scientific names, I like to know what I'm growing, and don't usually mind the names, except for a few that are horrendous tongue twisters. Many of these names are made up of recognizable pieces, and once you know what the pieces mean, those long words make sense and can even be descriptive and meaningful. I think I've even seen some books that attempt to demystify these names by teaching the pieces. On the other hand, common names, like "Wild Petunia" for Ruellia, can sometimes be very confusing and/or misleading. Ruellias aren't anything like your regular garden petunia, and Ruellia is such an easy name. In this case, it's the common name that's confusing to me, not the Latin name.