I’m enjoying the bright red Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) and Great Blue Lobelias (Lobelia siphilitica) that are blooming around the Bald Cypress tree (Taxodium distichum) in our rain garden.
According to Tom Barnes, author of Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky, Cardinal Flowers “may be the best hummingbird-attracting plant in the state.” I’ve enjoyed seeing Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) feeding on our plants. I’ve discovered that photographing them is indeed a challenge, but managed to get this image.
Hummingbirds are one of my favorite birds and it’s great fun to have them in the backyard. I try attracting them with feeders but we see them much more often on the native plants. Cardinal Flowers are one of my favorite native plants and the fact that they draw hummingbirds makes them extra special.