Next summer I will have an open spot in my garden in between a 3.5 ft iris and a 6 ft fence. A great hummer plant that has flowers in the 4-6 ft height range is what I'm looking for and it appears that nicotiana mutabilis may fit well. However, this part of my garden is not full sun. How much shade can this plant take and still bloom profusely? Also, while the flower stems may reach up to 6 ft, would a thick 3.5 ft iris block too much of the nicotiana's leaves from getting sun?

Zone 5a
East-central Iowa

They should do fine in a more than half a day sun. The iris should act as a fence hold up their stalks. Unfortunately all the advice in the world is not substitute for actually trying and seeing.

I have a great view(from my dining room) of a part-sun location along my fence and I really want to put at least one good hummer plant there. Unfortunately, it won't get sun beyond 8am-1pm and most hummer plants want more. The specific spot I would like to grow a nicotiana mutabilis may even be blocked from the sun for another hour. I would definitely grow it if it would get 6 hours of sun, as ward said, but 4-5 with none after 1pm concerns me a bit even though that appears to qualify as part-shade(which many hummer plant labels say is ok). I did notice a couple websites suggest this plant can take more shade, so I may just go ahead and try it.

Kathi, what do you have to say about this? Thanks.

Zone 5a
East-central Iowa

Dan,

Nicotiana mutablis could probably take some light shade, with morning sun being the most important as with any plant. However, we did have some Nicotiana in a partial shade area this year that never bloomed (but it was a very cool summer here in Wisconsin.) Full sun would always be ideal, but as Ward says you won't know until you try. If you have a full sun area, I would also plant a Nicotiana plant there as a comparison.

This is only our experience and opinion, but we got rid of most of our iris several years ago. They never attracted any hummingbirds and took up valuable space that could be used for great hummingbird flowers. Also, while they are very beautiful, their bloom period is very short and then, unfortunately, all you have for the rest of the season is ugly declining foliage. If I had to choose between an Iris and Nicotiana (or any other hummingbird plant), I would choose Nicotiana any day.

Dan, please let us know how this all turns out as it could be valuable information for the rest of us.



Kathi and Michael Rock
Madison, Wisconsin
Zone 4/5

Thank you, Kathi. You are an invaluable resource. I greatly appreciate the input of everyone else, as well.

The problem with "try it and see" hummer flower growing is we have to wait several months to find out if it works.

The iris and the lady in red salvia I grew in front of it get even less sun than the back of the bed where I'd like the nicotiana. The LIR salvia really struggled to bloom all year. I think it got about 2-3 hours of sun. I guarantee the full sun area of my garden will be loaded with hummer plants.

Zone 5a
East-central Iowa

You probably already know about this plant, Fuchsia Gartenmeister Bonstedt, an annual that blooms from spring until first frost. You could plant it in a narrow tall planter and put between the Iris and the fence. Gartenmeister can take more direct sun than most fuchsias, and 3 hours of morning sun should not be a problem. It's a tidy, bushy plant, and a hummer favorite. And as the Iris in front declines, you could have other annuals in the pot, trailing downward over the sides to add more color. I presently have 4 growing in 14" to 18" pots, and the one that gets the most morning sun is the largest, about 3', the others about 24". My fuchsias take a time out during July and August, our hottest months. All blooms drop, not the leaves, and in late August a new round of flowers start budding and the blooms last until the first frost. Fuchsias need to have their leaves sprayed with water during the months when the temps are above 85 degrees, as they lose a lot of moisture through their leaves. Sometimes it is not as necessary to water the rootball as it is to water spray the foliage. And the Gartenmeister can be overwintered in the garage if the temps don't drop below 40 degrees. Mine outside have already suffered 39 degrees (which I wasn't expecting), and they are still thick with blooms.

Just a thought.

Thanks for the input, Susan. Gartenmeister is a plant I've been considering for next year's garden. I actually don't like its looks as much as many other hummer flowers, but I may still try one.

Zone 5a
East-central Iowa

I couldn't help noticing Kathi's mention of the main drawback to the Fuchsia. The fact that the period it hates most, the heat of July and August, is exactly the peak time for our hummingbirds. Still, the summer shade garden is one of the toughest nuts to crack and it grows there. It is also easy to propagate.

Another plant to consider for a half shade or more spot is Salvia miniata. It is not exactly early, it doesn't really start rolling until early August. But if you can provide enough moisture and have fairly rich soil then it should thrive. It is easy to bring in for the winter by cuttings or by a rooted plant and can be further propagated over the winter. It doesn't put out a riot of flowers, but what it does produce the hummingbirds use. A nice combination would be native columbine for the early breeding season interplanted with miniata to take on the August and September migration. A couple of Fuchsia would finish the show.