| Hummingbirds are attracted to plants with slender, tubular-shaped flowers in the red/pink/orange range, although they will certainly visit blooms of other colors. Plant masses of these hummingbird attractors and you’ll have better luck drawing passing birds than with single specimens and will provide larger quantities of nectar for them to eat too Here are some favorites for desert southwest gardeners: Trees Desert willow, Chilopsis linearis Shrubs Baja fairy duster, Calliandra californica Fairy duster, Calliandra eriophylla Chuparosa, Justicia californica Red justicia, Justicia candicans Mexican honeysuckle, Justicia spicigera Desert honeysuckle, Anisacanthus thurberi Flame anisacanthus, Anisacanthus wrightii Cape honeysuckle, Tecomaria capensis Yellow bells, Tecoma stans Autumn sage, Salvia greggii Mexican bush sage, Salvia leucantha Lavender mint, Poliomintha maderensis Penstemon, Penstemon parryi, P. eatoni, P. superbus, P. baccharifolius, P. barbatus Scarlet sage, Salvia coccinea Shrimp plant, Justicia brandegeana California fuchsia, Zauschneria latifolia Scarlet bouvardia, Bouvardia ternifolia Vines Trumpet honeysuckle, Campsis radicans Accent Plants Ocotillo, Fouquieria splendens Aloe, Aloe spp. Red yucca, Hesperaloe parviflora Coral bean, Erythrina flabelliformis Hummingbird Feeders It never hurts to put up a sugar water feeder to make sure the hummingbirds have a source of nectar at all seasons. The standard recipe for hummingbird food is one part sugar to four parts water. Take a cup of granulated white table sugar and mix with four cups water. Boil for a few minutes to remove any impurities, then let cool before filling the feeder. Unused portions can be refrigerated for later use. Do not use red dye -- it is a foreign substance that wild birds can do without. Keep your hummingbird feeders clean, particularly in hot weather when the sugar solution tends to ferment quickly. 
SAY "NO" TO EXOTIC SPECIES IN CITY AND COUNTY PROJECTS
Tucson is plopped in the middle of what is some of the most beautiful country on the planet. Not just the US -- the whole planet! Dramatic mountains, bizarre plants, and wide open skies make this a wonder for all of us to enjoy. Yet we fail to celebrate our surroundings by preserving the Tucson sense of place in our landscapes. It’s time to change that.
A good place to start would be in city and county roadside and park projects. Using native trees, shrubs and accent plants in these landscapes would enhance the Tucson experience for both locals and visitors. Using local plants would also enable projects to be designed to use less water and require less maintenance. How can you beat that?
I’m not saying there’s no place for exotic species. I like my orange tree and lemon trees like anyone else (in my back yard). But let’s convince our local governments to lead the way by demonstrating how beautiful landscapes can be created with our own native plants. I know it can be done because my front yard contains only Tucson plants.
Thanks. Let’s preserve Tucson’s unique and wonderful sense of place.
SEED GROWN OCOTILLOS
Ocotillos are one of our favorite landscape plants. They are dramatic living sculptures whether green or bare, have lovely red flowers that attract hummingbirds, and are very easy care.
Designing with them has been a frustrating experience, however. In many cases 50% of bare-root ocotillos fail to take root and need replacing within a year. For our landscape installers this is a time consuming and expensive headache and for our clients it is discouraging and disappointing.
Why such tough luck? Most nursery ocotillos are dug in Texas, bundled up with wire and shipped here on an open truck -- it’s no wonder they fare poorly. Locally salvaged ocotillos perform somewhat better and are good for situations where a mature sized plant is required. By far the best option for ocotillos -- with nearly 100% success rate -- is seed grown plants. They are now available through several local nurseries and, although smaller at plantout, are quick to establish and grow.
If you’re looking to create a dramatic landscape with ocotillos, look for seed grown specimens and you’re sure to be successful.
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