At least I believe it is a Pachystachys or Shrimp plant. I wonder if anyone has seen it up there. I got it from my favorite greenhouse here. Unlike the others it´s a low growing plant barely a foot tall. It should be good for hummers but I haven´t seen them use it yet.

Peter, this colorful plant is Porphyrocoma pohliana, Brazilian Fireworks. Bud introduced it to us a couple of years ago. I have had it ever since, but it doesn't seem to be the hummer magnet one would think it ought to be. Mine remains potted, in shade, and near the fountain. This species is in the same family with the Justicias and Pachystachys.

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

We tried this plant this year as well and it did not attract any hummingbirds (but it's an attractive plant). Even in our cool Wisconsin climate, it had to be moved to the shade as it was withering in full sun.



Kathi and Michael Rock
Madison, Wisconsin
Zone 4/5

Nancy thank you for the identification. I wonder if it has a low sugar output. Anyway I just bought some more today.

Peter, I tested it 30 May 2008 and found:

Porphyrocoma pohliana - 3 flowers yielded about 8 µL [microliters] of 27.6% nectar.

This is certainly on a par with some other great hummer plants such as Stachytarpheta frantzii, but I think the small stature of the plants makes the birds go real close to the ground. Some people claim that being close to the ground puts the birds at risk from land-based predators, so they avoid flowers that are close to the ground. Of course, I've seen hummers practically on the ground, but I do think they prefer to be higher up, so I just don't know why it gets so little use.

Nancy thank you I was hoping you might supply that information and now I have hope. If there is nectar content I will have some hummers, probobly the little ones using the flowers.