Does Color Matter?

     One of the most common questions: Does the color of flowers make a difference in attracting hummingbirds. Well, the answer isn't quite that simple. It has a lot to do with the age of the hummingbird and the food found within the flower. There's not a hummingbird that would bypass a Red or Orange flower if it tasted great. Adult or Juvenile, all shades of red to a hummingbird are like a neon sign to a human. Red is one of those colors that just stand out and pop within a garden. Every young bird new to a garden would quickly be drawn to all shades of Red, which also includes orange. This is NOT to say that it'll taste good. You could have a garden full of red poppies, but the hummingbird would move on if there were other choices. The first colors young hummers go to are the red, but they will sample everything around and then determine which one is their favorite. The mature hummingbirds have a bit of past knowledge to rely on and tend to remember the types of flowers that repeatedly taste great despite color. They will often times bypass a "yucky" red one to head straight to the favorite. Red is a great color to incorporate into your hummingbird garden, but don't rely solely on the color to keep them around. July 2015, N.E. of Edmonton, AB.

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