There is a movement underway to promote native plants for many reasons. Native plants will grow without the detrimental effects of fertilizer. Native plants feed helpful insects like native bees that pollinate our food and insects like dragonflies that eat harmful insects including mosquitos and insects that would harm your plants. Dragonflies can move and rotate each of their four wings independently, making it possible for them to fly backwards, up and down. This makes them especially adept at catching mosquitos. Native plants attract and feed helpful insects, butterflies and birds.

If you would like to attract hummingbirds, you can plant Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal flower), Aquilegia canadensis (Wild Columbine), Monarda fistulosa (beebalm) and Lonicera sempervirens (Trumpet honeysuckle). These plants, native to our area, provide attraction and food for hummingbirds. From my perspective, native plants are much better food for hummingbirds than sugar water which is usually found in feeders. If you decide to plant Trumpet honeysuckle you may want to select the one with red flowers as hummingbirds especially like red flowers. You will need to support Trumpet honeysuckle with a fairly tall lattice.

These plants can be ordered from Garden in the Woods ( Native Plant Trust) in Framingham and at Blue Stem Nursery in Norwell. The websites and addresses can be found on the internet.

The video below is of a hummingbird savouring Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal flower). Nearby, there is a Monarda fistulosa (bee balm) plant .