An Apple by Any Other Name 

By Raye Nilius, Grayson County Master Gardener 

When I bought this house eight years ago, winter was packing its bindle and looking to depart North Texas. The days began to lengthen, rain fell, and Spring’s entrance was like a waterfall of diamonds. 

In my new backyard an ocean of Mexican Petunias fought for space, nearly encompassing a yellow Floribunda Rose. Shasta Daisies grew near the patio and later, Calla Lilies bloomed passionate purple. These newly discovered treasures were a welcome parade of color in the plain Bermuda landscape. 

Early in the season I discovered a swarm of green sprouts beneath the Weeping Holly by the patio. Thinking they were some random weeds, I pulled them up. They kept coming back. They were relentless. 

God bless the former owners for planting such riches. I soon learned that the relentless sprouts were those of a shrub native to Texas and named after the shape of its flowers – Turk’s Cap. Typically growing two to three feet tall and just as wide in North Texas, it dies to the ground every winter. Tulip-like crimson flowers spiral upward like pinwheels around a longer stalk. Red flowered Turk’s Cap are common but pink, yellow, and white flowered varieties are also available. 

A member of the Mallow Family, Turk’s Cap’s scientific name is Malvaviscus arboreus from the Latin malva meaning mallow, and viscus which means sticky. The term arboreus signifies that the plant is woody. Our red Turk’s Cap is Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii, named for Thomas Drummond, the Scottish botanist who discovered it in Texas in 1833. 

Turk’s Cap has multiple common names: Mexican Apple, Chicken Apple, Manzanilla (Little Apple), Sleeping Hibiscus, Wax Mallow, and Cardinal’s Hat. In the Cook Islands it is known as Kaute Moe. With so many aliases, it is clear why scientific names are important. 

If you have a Turk’s Cap in your yard, set the table because you have an edible perennial. The flower petals and the leaves are edible either cooked or fresh. Salads can be upgraded with freshly plucked and washed Turk’s Cap flowers. The taste is like the floral, slightly sweet dew from honeysuckle. The flowers can also be used to make a peach colored dye or reddish tea. 

Later in the season, small green fruits appear that ripen into shiny red orbs about a half inch in diameter. These are the Turk’s Cap’s apples. They are crunchy, slightly sweet, and somewhat dry. Bite one in half and you will find a tiny apple-like core. 

Turk’s Cap is a wildlife buffet. When they are here, hummingbirds and butterflies visit each flower in turn, systematically hovering and sampling the flowers’ nectar. Where there are two or more 

Hummingbirds, there is drama. We have watched hummers dive bombing each other to get the flowers all to themselves. 

Turk’s Cap serves as the primary host for the buff-colored, fuzzy caterpillar of the Turk’s Cap White Skipper. The caterpillar feeds on the leaves while the adult butterfly (buff with brown spots) consumes nectar from the flowers. 

After one season living with Turk’s Cap, I just had to have more. The next spring, when shoots were plentiful, I pulled several up. After scraping the bottom of each shoot, I dipped them in rooting hormone, and planted them in enriched soil. Because they do best in partial shade, I chose locations where they would receive both dappled sun and sprinkler water. 

At that time I didn’t know them very well. I had no idea that I had played into their hands and became an accomplice to their strategic goals. Years later a dear friend told me that she had planted some Turk’s Cap in her garden and “They just took over!” They sure enough did. By propagating more, I was enabling them to conquer my planting beds as their exclusive territory. 

Turk’s Cap spreads by root suckers and as I have discovered, are wildly successful. Without confinement, they spread like a runaway herd of galloping Zebras. 

One summer, inspired by their abundance, my husband decided to make jelly with the tiny apples. Ever vigilant, we hunted for them every day, saving the tiny apples in the freezer for the big event. It took a month and a half to collect four cups. For the jelly, he followed a recipe shared online at https://www.sweetsouthernblue.com/2014/06/02/turks-cap-jelly/. Inexplicably, our jelly never jelled. No worries, though. We sealed the pint of syrup in a Mason jar and now and then enjoy its sweet, slightly tart goodness on buckwheat waffles or ice cream. 

Turk’s Cap can get ragged and leggy late in the summer. And why not? They are enjoyed by caterpillars, grasshoppers, and other small creatures that chew on the leaves. One year there were so many critters feasting on my Turk’s Cap that the leaves looked like lace doilies. If you find your Turk’s Cap in this condition, you may try what I did. I brought the hedge trimmer out and sheared them off to the ground. Surprise! They sprang back with new resolve and before long had filled in the space with lush, thick growth. 

In 2011 Turk’s Cap was designated a Texas Superstar Plant by Texas AgriLife Research. It is highly adaptable to varying types of soil, drought resistant, and hardy in zones 7b-11. Turk’s Cap’s benefits to wildlife are a special bonus as it is a magnet for hummingbirds and butterflies. The blooms keep coming all summer long in shady or partial sun. If you want this Texas treasure in your yard, you can find Turk’s Cap for sale at local nurseries in late spring. They are also easy to propagate from spring shoots. As always, my friends, happy gardening! 

Long Bean Flowers

Harvesting the Bean

Red Noodle Beans (top) and Asparagus Beans (bottom) Ready to eat

Undisputed Champions By Raye Nilius,
Grayson County Master Gardener

Grandma Ruby raised chickens. I remember watching her gather the eggs from the henhouse, under the rabbit cage, in the tall ragweed next to the driveway, and from the old smoke house. She pumped well water and poured it, still cool, into a white enamel basin. The eggs were washed in that cool water, with a little dish soap, then packed into cardboard egg crates. They rode with us in the back seat on the way to Delno’s Grocery Store in Attica, Iowa, where she sold them to Delno himself. She was able to feed us all with those chickens and their eggs because chickens are the undisputed champions of farms and homesteads. Without chickens, what would we eat for breakfast and Sunday dinner? From a gardening perspective, there is one and only one vegetable that is hands-down the Champion. Tomatoes are a top contender, but in the heat of the summer, they will let you down and take a fall. Okra is second, simply because it is stoic, withstanding the rounds of misery during our endless Texas summers. Eggplant is a distant third, with a tendency to get seedy and bruised over time. After a trip to the Judges Scorecard, the winner, by a knockout, is long beans. Also known as asparagus bean, snake bean, yard long beans, and cowpea, long beans originated in Southeast Asia and have traveled the world for centuries. They are easy to start from seed (a bean, actually) and they produce beans all summer long from late May to first frost. Long beans are legumes like green beans but are more closely related to black-eyed peas. They can grow up to 30 inches long but are much better when harvested at 12-20 inches. The general rule of thumb is to harvest your long beans when they are the diameter of a pencil. Multiple varieties of long beans are available in seed catalogs and online. My personal favorite is the Red Noodle Bean. I have found them to be more heat tolerant than other varieties and prolific producers. Their pods grow rapidly on the vine to produce beefy, long, firm beans with a delicious nutty beany flavor. When I began growing long beans, I was gob smacked by the rapid development and growth of the beans. From flowers to beans it is only a matter of days before they are ready to harvest. Typically, two lavender flowers bloom side by side and produce two tiny bean threads. This couplet of beans grows quickly, elongating a few inches a day, plumping out to produce the 12-20” long Red Noodle Bean. Long bean vines can grow 12 feet or more, so a tall trellis is important. I have had the best results with an arched cattle panel that is anchored with two metal fence posts on either side. Lacking a tall trellis, the vines will spiral around one another, resulting in vine snarls that reduce bean production and choke off growth.
When long beans start producing, be prepared to pick handfuls every other day. Twenty long beans make a big pot of cooked beans, while twenty green beans is only going to give you a sampler. If you are short of time, you should know that long beans can be on the table in ten minutes flat. Just snip a little off both ends and cut the beans into two-inch pieces. Bring them to boil in water just enough to cover with salty ham chunks. After the water begins to boil, allow the beans to cook for 7-8 minutes, then take them off the heat and out of the water. We save the slightly seasoned water for soups or add it to our dog’s bowls. If we have too many to eat while they are fresh, we blanch and freeze them in freezer bags or cook and freeze them in plastic freezer containers. These two methods successfully extend our joy of eating long beans. Occasionally I forget to harvest my long beans. The next trip to the trellis reveals freakishly knobby, inedible pods hanging on the vine. That’s ok though. Just open the pod like a zipper and drop the beans into your prep bowl. You can add them to your next batch of cooked beans. A jumbo cube of cornbread wouldn’t hurt that meal. No matter the variety, long beans are eternal in the vegetable garden. If left on the vine until they turn brown and crispy, crack open the pods and remove the dried beans to plant again. The beans never go to waste and the dried-up pods go into the compost bin. They are also relatively pest free. Only two insects seem to enjoy long beans as much as I; ants and stink bugs. The ants creep up and down the vines continually. They are not fire ants, just little black ants that are not aggressive. When I harvest the beans, they drop onto my arms and hands, but are easily blown away. I like to think that they are pollinating the flowers just like the fat bumble bees that wedge their way into the blossoms. In years with adequate rain, stink bugs hung out on the beans with the ants. They leave their bite marks, which I do not appreciate. I don’t like to smush them because they STINK. Instead, I bring a pitcher of water with me and tap them into the water for a refreshing swim. In August I research the planting calendars to see what will pique my interest for the fall garden. While planning this year I noticed that the planting calendar identified July 30 to August 10 for fall pole beans. Knowing that there were some Lazy Wife Greasy Pole Bean seeds in my seed cabinet, I made plans to throw down a few rows. Lazy Wife Greasy Beans originated in the Appalachians of North Carolina. They were named “Lazy Wife” because the gardeners (typically women) were able to allow them to linger on the vine, growing bigger before the harvest. At the time of naming, it was not an insulting name, but a descriptive one. The pods are also free of the tiny hairs that many green beans possess, thus they are shiny (greasy). I have grown them twice before, but only in the spring and early summer. Having originated as an Appalachian Mountain variety, I questioned whether they would thrive in our late Texas summers. Even so, I gathered them up and boldly planted them in my raised beds.
When I ran out of the Greasy Bean seeds toward the end of the row, I finished out the row with long bean seeds that had dried up on my vines earlier this year. To my delight, both varieties emerged and began growing. Soon, however, the Greasy Beans revealed their cool, mountain origins and the heat claimed them. They just didn’t have what it took to be the undisputed champion of my Texas vegetable garden. The long beans that were used to plant out at the end of the row are thriving today and have sent healthy vines up the trellis. As I calculate it, two frost-free growing months remain this year (Sep-Oct) and I hope to have long beans from the newly planted row through the first week of November. Just as chickens were my Grandmother’s champions, long beans have been my Champions. Sadly, she never had a long bean trellis or a garden of any kind. The chickens ate every tiny sprout that emerged in the yard and coal dust from her Potbelly stove claimed the rest. We didn’t mind. Fragrant fields of corn enveloped her farm. We would duck under the fence into the shade of the stalks and run through the rows, under cover. In those days, before Round-Up Ready Corn, it wasn’t unusual to strip off a few ears of corn and eat them raw right there in the field. In my memories, the ears of corn were as big as a giant’s shoe. If my Grandmother were here today, I would prepare a savory pot of long beans with ham, she would boil some roasting ears, and we would pan-fry a chicken or two. Should it occur, you are all invited to that dinner. If you haven’t already grown long beans, now is the time to order your very own collection for spring planting. You can buy seeds for Asparagus Beans, Mosaic Beans, Taiwan Yard Long, Yu Long Yard Long, Oriental Yard Long, and many others. Last year I found Asparagus Beans at Walmart! Next spring, I will be out there in early April to prepare the cattle panel beds for long beans. Join me, my friends, and as always, happy gardening!

 

(Photos from Harmony Park project site, Eisenhower Birthplace project site, and a volunteer day at Lowes-Sherman)

 

Grayson County Master Gardener Shares Her Experiences as an Intern 

By: Liz Johnson, Grayson County Master Gardener Intern 

It has been my desire for quite a while to expand my plant and gardening knowledge and become a Master Gardener. Sharing knowledge is something I enjoy. Turning a plain piece of ground into something beautiful is a good and joyful thing, and I want to share my experience and enthusiasm with the community. 

To become better acquainted with the processes and procedures of the Master Gardener Office, I spent several hours with Master Gardener Donna Nesbitt and learned about the library and phone protocol. I had time to become acquainted with Joyce White, Grayson County Extension Agent at Texas AgriLife Extension Service, and learned what her duties are. I offered my Microsoft Office skills as well as calligraphy skills if needed to Joyce and Donna. 

Harmony Park and Eisenhower Birthplace are oases in the Sherman/Denison area. Both are peaceful even though their locations are so diverse. Spending time there helped acquaint me with the native plants and other plants that thrive here. The Sherman/Denison area is much different than any place I have lived. I have encountered the “Gumbo” soil in the southeast part of Houston, and it was a challenge there also! The classes regarding the different soils in our area – what to do and not to do – have served me well in several instances. 

I have visited the Sherman Library-Harmony Park several times and each time, whether pulling weeds or planting new plants (I am an excellent weed puller and hole digger!), there is a tranquil peace in the garden. This is amazing since it is in the downtown area. The grounds are beautiful and full of healthy plants well suited to the location. Children and parents take advantage of the musical instruments at the far end of Harmony Park. Their lovely sounds make the job at hand easier somehow. It is delightful to see parents and children enjoying the grounds and stopping to admire the lovely plants. 

During the visit noted, weeding was done, and plants were planted. All the plants did not thrive but the ones that did looked healthy when I returned in May. Each time I go there, plants are pointed out and I learn a little more about the grounds at the Sherman Library-Harmony Park. 

Because it is the birthplace of one of our Presidents, the Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site, located in Denison, Texas, should be beautiful. Thanks to David Turner, Grayson County Master Gardener and Master Naturalist, it is. Having had the opportunity to attend several workdays, I have learned much about the native plants and what is and is not a weed! Our main activities have been weeding and trimming. 

If Eisenhower’s Birthplace had to be described in one word, that word would be peaceful. Even with five Master Gardeners diligently working, the peaceful serenity that is found there was not lost. In the world we live in, that is a good thing. The Master Gardeners cleaned out flower beds of unwanted or dead plants near the office. A little trimming was also done. It doesn’t sound 

like much, but there were four or five of us and we had several large piles of debris to carry away. Everything looked much tidier when we finished. 

After working at several places and attending the weekly Master Gardener meetings, I volunteered at Lowe’s for Community Outreach. What a great experience. Besides me, there were two Master Gardeners and several Interns who volunteered their service that day. Between helping customers, we had the opportunity to get to know each other better-what a gift. We greeted customers, talked about our program and the Texas A&M extension program, assured customers we weren’t selling anything, and helped a lot with questions. It was awesome to recall answers to questions from our classes and/or our book. The managers at Lowe’s were very happy. 

The combination of classroom training and practical experience has given me a much better appreciation for selecting the best plants for a given location and how to nurture them to healthy maturity. I value what I have learned from the Master Gardener program. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with the community. 

 

All About Fire Ants: Beware! 

By: Joanne Curley, Grayson County Master Gardener 

There is no way of avoiding the periodic mounds that appear in your landscape beginning in early Spring. With only one true predator, the phorid fly, and minimal other possible predators, Fire Ants definitely present a challenge for Texans who spend any amount of time outdoors. 

Fire Ants are not native to Texas or even North America. They arrived from South America in a port in Mobile, Alabama in 1918, and have been an ongoing pest ever since! 1 Colonies often have tens of thousands of ants in them, and when left untreated, colonies can get as large as 200,000. The mounds are filled below with tunnels that can extend as long as 25 feet. This is partly why they are so difficult to treat and eliminate. Many treatments kill many of the ants, but if the queen is not killed, the colony will simply repopulate. 

1 Fire Ant Frequently Asked Questions. Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project 

2 Welcome to Texas: Avoiding the Sting of Fire Ants, pg. 2. Wizzie Brown, Extension Program Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services. 

3 Fire Ant Control Methods Around Pets, pg. 4. Paul R. Nester Extension Program Specialist-Integrated Pest Management, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services. 

4 Welcome to Texas: Avoiding the Sting of Fire Ants, pg. 1 Wizzie Brown, Extension Program Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services. 

Fire Ants are attracted to open sunny areas.2 They tunnel deep or deeper to seek cooler temperatures and moisture down below when it gets hot and dry above ground. In doing so, they often go unnoticed. It isn’t until rain or hose/sprinkler water floods their tunnels that we see mounds appear, and by then, there could be a well-established colony underground. Common areas you might find colonies include sidewalks, gardens, landscaped areas, fields, and basically anywhere Fire Ants have adequate food and water sources. 

Fire Ants attack any time the mound is disturbed. Children can become fascinated watching the movement of Fire Ants in action when the mound is disturbed and don’t realize the danger of being in such close proximity. Even pets are at risk of being attacked.3 Fire Ants rush out in great numbers, often from the holes on top of the mound. They use their jaws to cling to their victim and sting away, causing a burning sensation, localized swelling, itchiness, and later a pustule forms at the site where the victim was stung. Some people have greater sensitivity to the venom, and this causes greater amounts of swelling. Others have developed a more severe allergy that can cause life-threatening allergic reactions that need immediate attention.4 

Cautions: 

1. Be careful where you step! Sometimes the colony is difficult to detect because there is no mound, and you may find yourself standing right in a pile of Fire Ants. Oftentimes, you don’t even realize it until you feel the first sting. 

2. Fence posts and trees: Fire Ants often have colonies at the base of both, and even sometimes up in the tree, so be careful where you lean, sit, or climb. 

3. When camping, thoroughly scour the area you intend to set up your tent, sleeping bag, and near the campfire, walking over it to make sure there are no fire ant colonies underneath. 

4. Fire Ants love oil-containing seeds, seed pods, and insects, both pests and beneficial insects.5 Gardens provide abundant moisture, rich organic soil, and a wide variety of foods for Fire Ants, so be careful when working in your garden beds. 

5 Managing Fire Ants in Vegetable Gardens. Molly Keck Extension Programs Specialist II – Integrated Pest Management, Texas A&M Extension AgriLife Service. 

6 Two-Step Method, Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project. 

7 Fun Facts About Fire Ants, Gregory Pest Control Solutions 

There are many options for controlling Fire Ants. Some suggest creating more shade in your yard as Fire Ants like open sunny areas. Others suggest using Purple Martin Houses as these birds seem to feed on Fire Ants. Armadillos, spiders, and horned lizards also reportedly feed on Fire Ants, although I am not so sure how many of those you might want to invite to your yard. Some mulches such as cedar bark mulches may discourage or even claim to repel Fire Ants. Mowing and disturbing the mound may cause Fire Ants to relocate; however, none of these methods are research-based or proven. Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management project has come up with a Two-Step process to manage Fire Ants in your yard. This is “currently the best-proven approach to effectively manage Fire Ants.”6 

The Two-Step Method involves Baits as well as Individual Mound Treatments. The use of baits is a slower approach but 80-90% effective. It attracts the fire ant workers to the pesticide-covered grits, which they take to the queen, making her infertile or eliminating her completely. Once this happens, the colony will not continue to be viable. Individual Mound Treatments work more quickly but are less effective in the long term. This can include the use of chemicals, granules, or even organic methods such as flooding with boiling water or using Spinosa. Be sure to read the label on any chemical or granular method you use for safety in vegetable gardens and follow instructions for appropriate use in controlling Fire Ants. 

The bottom line is that Fire Ants are simply a part of life in Texas. Simply being aware is the best way to stay safe. Let’s be realistic – Fire Ants will not be eliminated. 

More Interesting Facts About Fire Ants:7 

1. Queen Fire Ants live up to 7 years and lay between 800-1600 eggs per day. Queens never leave their nest. 

2. Fire Ants are aggressive and have been known to invade beehives, completely killing all the bees and creating havoc in the hive. They also will attack anything they perceive to be a threat to their colony. 

3. Fire Ants float. In floods, they have been known to create a giant floating mass and have also been known to form chains to cross short distances and transport the larvae out of flooded tunnels in their colony. They can lift 20 times their weight. 

4. Most Fire Ants we see are females that are sterile worker ants. Their job is to maintain the colony and take care of the young. 

5. Fire Ants sleep up to 9 hours a day and do not have ears. They have a life span of approximately 5 weeks. 

The Broadfork is an Essential Garden Tool for Clay Soil 

By: Karis Johnston, Grayson County Master Gardener 

The broadfork or U fork is a French tool that Eliot Coleman brought to the US in the 1990’s. It’s not a classic tool like the hoe or shovel, but its use is increasing as homesteaders, market gardeners and small acreage farmers realize the vast benefits that come with loosening tight clay soils without disturbing structure and microbial habitat. 

The broadfork has two long wood or metal handles connected to a flat bar that has between four to seven, 8-to-16-inch spikes on it. To use it, the gardener puts the prongs into the ground and steps onto the bar pushing or wiggling the spikes into the ground with their body weight. The gardener steps off the bar and pulls the handles toward them, aerating the soil. This process is repeated over and over in preparing new planting beds or reinvigorating current ones. 

Because broadforks are designed to open the ground without turning it over, it’s extremely beneficial in decreasing compaction and erosion. This action allows oxygen and water to penetrate more deeply. Using a broadfork regularly in the garden can eliminate the need to till which protects the soil structure and beneficial soil organisms. The deep penetration and lifting action of the broadfork also allows access to very deep-rooted weeds and grasses that can be removed more easily. 

My own personal experience with the broadfork has proven these benefits. I bought a used metal broadfork last summer for $75 compared to the price of a good rear tine tiller which is about $500. This spring we broadforked 26, fifty-foot rows. As a result of using the broadfork, we no longer have any water pooling in any of the uneven or low areas. We were also able to remove much of the Johnson grass rhizomes and Bermuda grass stolons from the growing areas. Two months into this growing season my tomatoes, brassicas, beans, and cucurbits are all much larger and healthier than all our previous years combined. I have also noticed less squash bugs, cucumber beetles and harlequin beetles. 

In conclusion, small acreage farmers and gardeners who choose to try the broadfork will be rewarded with increased crop yields, improved soil health, and experience a very cost-efficient alternative to tilling. #cropfit #theresilientfarmer 

 

Hummingbirds Are Drawn to Texas Native Plants 

By: Joanne M. Curley, Grayson County Master Gardener 

Hummingbirds are considered one of the most beloved birds. They are tiny, beautifully colored, and can be quite entertaining. They are the only bird that can hover, move forward and backward as well as up and down. They are true aerial acrobats and fascinating to watch! They are also very loyal creatures who, once they find a habitat that satisfies their needs, will faithfully return to it year after year. 1 

1 Hummingbirdguide.com for Hummingbird enthusiasts. 

2 https://www.audubon.org/content/how-create-hummingbird-friendly-yard 

Every year, hummingbirds travel from their winter homes in Central America and Mexico up to North America. They are responsible for their own flight all that way and do not “catch a ride” on other birds, animals, or any other means. After traveling so far, they arrive hungry and are relatively easy to attract to your yard. The most commonly thought way is to provide nectar from a feeder, 1:4 parts sugar to water ratio. Red dye is not needed and may, in fact, not be good for them. If you choose to hang a feeder, or multiple feeders, be sure to thoroughly clean and refill them every few days to not pass on any dangerous or even deadly bacteria to the birds. It is also a good idea if you choose to have more than one hanging feeder, to space them out. This will help diminish the birds fighting over the food source. 

While hanging a feeder is the most commonly thought of way to attract hummingbirds, it is not the only way, nor the easiest way. Planting the right flowers is a wonderful way to both beautify your garden and lure in hummingbirds. By simply incorporating flowers in your yard, garden or landscape that provide a source of nectar for the birds to feed and nourish themselves on, you will create a prime environment to attract these beautiful birds. 

Hummingbirds, also known as Hummers, love red and orange flowers, of which there are many native perennials that require very little care or maintenance. Any plant with nectar-bearing, tubular shaped blossoms will be inviting to hummingbirds. Interestingly, hummingbirds get their protein from small insects and spiders, and have been known to easily snatch insects right out of the air. If you are using any pesticides, be very careful that they are not harmful to pollinators and wait on brushing down those spider webs so the hummingbirds can get their fill. 

Hummingbirds do expend quite a bit of energy beating their wings thousands of times a minute, averaging about 50 times a second. Due to expending so much energy, they typically feed every 10-15 minutes and visit 1000-2000 flowers for nectar each day. 2 Having a variety of flowers will also help there to be a continuous supply of blossoms available for them all season long. Texas Native plant, Turk’s Cap, is a sure way to draw them to your yard. It has red blossoms that the hummingbirds love, grows in full sun or partial shade and will get up to about 3 ft high. Other natives such as Lantana, Bee Balm, Salvias, Petunias and Zinnias are all great plants for attracting hummingbirds and require very little maintenance. If you have room, you might consider some flowering vines such as Cardinal Climber, Hyacinth Bean Vine, Crossvine, or 

Honeysuckle to add some variety to the nectar sources in your garden.3 Hummingbirds are truly fascinating birds that have many wonderful adaptations that help them survive. 

3 “What to do in your Texoma Yard & Garden,” by Jessiie Gunn Stephens 

4 https://birdwatchingbuzz.com/do-hummingbirds-die-when-they-stop-flying/ 

5 5 Ways to attract Hummingbirds to your years, by Katie Parker, Univ of Illinois Agrilife Extension 

6 5 Ways to attract Hummingbirds to your years, by Katie Parker, Univ of Illinois Agrilife Extension 

Here are 5 interesting facts about hummingbirds you might not have known: 

1. While hummingbirds are very active, it is a common myth that they never stop flying. How would they rest or sit on their nest of eggs? 4 Besides buzzing around being extremely active looking for food, hummingbirds love to perch. They often pick a spot high up where they can rest and survey their surroundings. They often perch in trees, shrubs, at the top of swing sets and even on clothes lines.5 If you are curious, just watch where they go after feeding in your yard and you will see their favorite spot! 

2. Did you ever wonder what happens to hummingbirds when the temperature is cold or even at freezing levels? Or how do such little creatures survive cold nights or mornings? Well, another fascinating adaptation is their ability to slow their metabolic rate down up to 95%. This helps them to survive freezing temperatures by allowing them to enter a deep sleep called Torpor. It is like hibernation. It takes about 20 minutes to an hour for the hummingbird to “wake up” from this state. 

3. Many people think hummingbirds have straw-like tongues that suck the nectar from flowers, but that is another myth. They have specially shaped tongues with grooves in them and tiny hairs. They lap up the nectar like a cat. 

4. Hummingbirds’ nests are very tiny, about the size of a half dollar coin, often found in the bend of branches. They use spider webs to help bind the structure together. Hummingbird eggs are no bigger than small jellybeans and weigh about 1/50 off an ounce. Female hummingbirds are very shy and skittish and may abandon their nest if they do not feel secure. If you are fortunate to spot a hummingbird nest, it is always best to keep your distance and watch it from a distance rather than risk harming the nest or hatchlings.6 

5. Hummingbirds are often called “hummers”. A group of hummingbirds is called a “charm”. 

Go ahead and invite them to your garden and enjoy the endless hours of entertainment and beauty they provide! 

 

3 “What to do in your Texoma Yard & Garden,” by Jessiie Gunn Stephens 

4 https://birdwatchingbuzz.com/do-hummingbirds-die-when-they-stop-flying/ 

5 5 Ways to attract Hummingbirds to your years, by Katie Parker, Univ of Illinois Agrilife Extension 

6 5 Ways to attract Hummingbirds to your years, by Katie Parker, Univ of Illinois Agrilife Extension