So, you don’t know if torenia flowers attract hummingbirds?
I do know that, and in this post, I’m about to share with you everything I know about the relation of hummingbirds, and torenia flowers.
Do Hummingbirds Like Torenia?
Hummingbirds like torenia, because these flowers are colorful, and contain significant amounts of nectar, which is an important source of nectar for hummingbirds.
Hummingbirds particularly like flowers that are bright-colored, and contain lots of nectar.
Nectar is a really important part of a hummingbird diet. It’s rich in liquid sugar that these birds drink up with their tongue. It’s made out of 20% sucrose and 80% water. Hummers drink up to half their body weight each day in nectar.
These birds like many flowers, including petunias, daylilies, lupines, and wishbone flowers, also known as torenia.
Torenia flowers have many colors like yellow, pink, purple, white, red, and many more. These colors are eye-catching for a human, but it’s even more eye-catching for a hummingbird.
While humans have three color cones in the retina sensitive to red, green, and blue light, hummingbirds have a fourth color cone that can detect ultraviolet light.
Hummingbirds don’t have a sense of smell, so they can’t smell nectar, but colorful flowers are great indicators of nectar presence inside of them.
Another thing that attracts hummingbirds is the shape of torenia flowers. The blossom form a shape like a chicken wishbone. This makes for easy access for a hummingbird to stick their beak inside and suck up the nectar while easily hovering outside the flower.
What Color of Torenia Do Hummingbirds Like the Most?
Hummingbirds particularly like red, blue, brown, or green torenia flowers, as these colors can signal food to a hummingbird.
If you want to attract hummingbirds to your yard, choosing the right color of torenia flowers is pretty important, as the color is the main lure for hummingbirds.
These are all torenia colors that attract hummingbirds:
- Red (the most attractive)
- Pink
- Blue
- Orange
- Purple
- Green
- White
Is there any color of torenia flowers that hummingbirds don’t like? Torenia owners notice that hummingbirds tend to find yellow color less attractive.
What Torenia Varieties Do Hummingbidrs Particularly Like?
As you know, the color is crucial to attract hummingbirds, but the amount of nectar in torenia flowers is more important.
Keep in mind that hummingbirds will pollinate your torenia flowers if it has enough nectar. As a rule of thumb, the more hybrid the plant, the less nectar is passed along to the new species, which means the hummers will eventually pass on hybrids when looking for nectar.
Hummers also don’t like the hybrid-double blooms, because it’s too hard for them to get to the nectar.
Therefore, it’s not said that hybrid varieties won’t be tempting for hummingbirds. They will, but they will be less attractive for them.
The most attractive torenia series are:
- Torenia Catalina
- Torenia Summer Wave
- Torenia Moon
- Torenia Duchess
When to Plant Torenia Flowers for Hummingbirds?
If you want to plant torenia flowers for hummingbirds, you should sow seeds directly into the flower bed a week or so after the last frost date in your area.
Blooms begin in late spring to early summer and continue until frost. Hummingbirds are the most active from March until September, so you can be sure that your colorful torenia will attract them when they seek out nectar the most.
Torenia flowers will continue to produce nectar as long as their flowers are opened, so from the beginning of flowering until the first frost. One flower produces nectar continuously, so you can be sure that hummingbirds will be your fixture in your yard in the summer.
If you want to enjoy your hummingbirds earlier, you can also consider sowing torenia seeds earlier, about 6 weeks before the last frost, and keep them indoors with the temperature of 70-80 °F (21-26 °C). Once the frost has passed, you can plant them in your yard, and attract hummingbirds in early, not late spring.
Where to Plant Torenia Flowers for Hummingbirds?
Torenia flowers thrive and do well in areas with morning sun and afternoon shade.
However, they can also adapt well to full sun. If you want to increase the chances of attracting hummingbirds, you should plant your flowers in a sunny place, as hummingbirds love to feed in direct sunlight.
You can also plant your torenia flowers in partial shade, and it should attract hummingbirds just fine, but remember not to plant them in deep shade.
It will affect the development of flowers, and not attract hummingbirds.
What Other Flowers Attract Hummingbirds?
Colorful flowers with high nectar content that attract hummingbirds, that you can plant along with torenia flowers, include:
- Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
- Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
- Zinnia (Zinnia Spp.)
- Salvia (Salvia spp.)
- Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii)
- Lupine (Lupinus x hybridus)
- Petunia (Petunia Group)
FAQ
What other pollinators do torenia flowers attract?
Besides hummingbirds, thanks to its high nectar content, and bright colors, torenia flowers attract butterflies, bees, and bumblebees.
What are the other ways to attract hummingbirds to your yard?
Flowers are the best ways to attract hummingbirds to your yard, but you can also get a hummingbird feeder, or a bird bath with a fountain.
You can buy a hummingbird feeder here on Amazon, and fill it with nectar, or fruit juice. A bird bath with a fountain will be a source of water, and refreshment during hot days for hummingbirds and other birds.
Sources
davesgarden.com, birdwatchinghq.com, birdsandwild.com, gardeningknowhow.com, thespruce.com, breathinggarden.com