The Power of Red: Three Red Annuals Alluring to Hummingbirds

Tropaeolum majus, known commonly as garden nasturtium, is an New World native annual, with altitudinous homelands in northwestern and west central South America's Andean countries from Bolivia north to Colombia.

With U.S.D.A. plant hardiness classification through Zone 9 (minimum winter temperatures: 20° to 30° F.; -7° to -1° C.) to Zone 11 (40° to 50° F.; 4° to 10° C.), Tropaeolum majus has found worldwide appeal as a cultivated plant.

Thriving in full or half sunlight, garden nasturtiums climb to a height of 10 feet (3 meters), with an equiproportionate spread of 10 feet (3 meters).

Striking leaves are colored dull green to glaucous (Greek: γλαυκός, glaukós, “blue-green, blue-grey”).

Also leaves are peltate, that is, nearly round in shape and attached to the stem via a petiole (Latin: petiolus, “little foot”), a stalk which terminates near the middle of the underside of the leaf.

Garden nasturtium blazes with brilliant flowers in shades of orange, red, and yellow.

Scarlet sage (Salvia splendens) is native to Brazil, where it thrives as a perennial (Latin: per, "through" + annus, "year"), especially at elevations of 6,600 to 9,800 feet (2,000 to 3,000 meters). 

Now familiar worldwide, scarlet sage may be found in all climates. Scarlet sage is considered to be a variable perennial because, depending on the minimum winter temperatures of plant hardiness zones, the resplendent plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae) is grown either as an annual or as a perennial. Generally, in the United States Salvia splendens 'Van-Houttei,' one of the species' star cultivars, is treated:

• as an annual through U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zone 7 (minimum winter temperatures: 0° to 10° F.; -18° to -12° C.) and
• as a perennial for Zone 8 (minimum winter temperatures: 10° to 20° F.; -12° to -7° C.) through Zone 11 (40° to 50° F.; 4° to 10° C.).

Salvia splendens welcomes full sun and reaches a maximum height of 8 to 48 inches (20 - 120 centimeters), with a maximum spread of 8 to 32 inches (20 - 80 centimeters).

Oval green leaves with serrated margins surge with scarlet sage's multiplicity of branching stems.

Flowers unfurl as rich, warm shades of red for this species. Its cultivars expand Salvia splendens' color palette, with offerings such as:

• deep red-purple in 'Empire Purple,'
• vivid scarlet in 'Red Riches,' and
• salmon with pink inner petals in 'Vista Salmon.'

The 'Sizzler' series of cultivars provides a cornucopia of colors, including burgundy, lavender, pink, red, salmon, and white, as well as bi-colorations.

New World native annual Tithonia rotundifolia, known commonly as Mexican sunflower, has homelands in North America, from Mexico southward, encompassing every Central American country except Honduras.

Naturalization has extended Mexican sunflower's range to new homelands worldwide, with special thriving in west central to southern Africa, eastern Australia, eastern South America, and southeastern United States.

Tithonia rotundifolia is classed as hardy through U.S. 

A member of the daisy family (Asteraceae), Tithonia rotundifolia is valued for its lengthy blooming, from summer to the first frost.

Appreciative of full sun, Mexican sunflowers reach a maximum height of 3 to 6 feet (0.9 - 1.8 meters) and spread to about 2 feet (0.6 meters).

Velvety-hairy leaves, measuring 12 inches (30 centimeters) in length, festoon the many-branched stems of Tithonia rotundifolia.

Orange ray flowers encircle tufted yellow centers.

Red is a color in nature in which hummingbirds place their faith for provision of nectar delights. As with humans, red serves as stoplights for hummers.

Among the plethora of red-flowered plants, three annuals stand out for their extraordinary floral displays and enticing nectars:

• 'Empress of India' nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus 'Empress of India'),
• Scarlet sage (Salvia splendens) 'Van-Houttei,' and
• 'Torch' Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia 'Torch').

Backyard enthusiasts wishing to attract faithful visits from happy hummingbirds are rewarded by including these red annuals in their flower beds. Easy to grow and thriving in full sunlight, these carefree annuals proliferate in back yards as well as in container gardens.

There is no down time in appreciating these three red annuals, for their flowers prettify the landscape long before and after visits from gorgeous hummingbirds.

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

nasturtium Tropaeolum majus 'Empress of India': from Allandale Farm: Alvin Kho (chipmunk_1), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/42919152@N04/6160436067/

Male calliope hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope)
Lafitte's Cove, Galveston, southeastern Texas: Dan Pancamo, CC BY SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calliope_Hummingbird_by_Dan_Pancamo.jpg

Selasphorus calliope map: Cephas, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitxategi:Stellula_calliope_map.svg

Salvia vanhouttei (red-flowered form): SB Johnny, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salvia_vanhouttei_001.JPG

Male ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
Valley Station, southwestern Jefferson County, north central Kentucky: Joe Schneid, Louisville, Kentucky, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Archilochus_colubris_(Male).jpg

Archilochus colubris map: Ken Thomas, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ruby-throated_Hummingbird-rangemap.gif

Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) 'Torch'; flowering foliage: ClatieK, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/clatiek/2766220211/

Calypte Anna map: Cephas, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calypte_anna_map.svg

male Anna's Hummingbird: Steve Berardi from Long Beach, CA, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Annas_Hummingbird_(male)_(3104859511).jpg

Mexican sunflowers, Mexican asters
Allied Arts Guild, Bay Area, northern California: ClatieK, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/clatiek/2888473815/

spike of scarlet sage's tubular flowers: Futureman1199, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2012_06-21IMG_2248_(2).jpg

Tropaeolum majus 'Empress of India'
Egleston Community Orchard, Egleston Square, Boston, Massachusetts; Sep. 16, 2012: Alvin Kho (chipmunk_1), CC BY SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/42919152@N04/7994512244/

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