Hummingbirds on the Move
This is the time of year in Central Minnesota when a greater number of hummingbirds are seen at once - at the feeders or out in the field especially areas abundant with the native plant Jewelweed.
The high population of ruby-throated hummingbirds occurs because birds from the north are now down here feeding with the resident birds before flying the next leg south. The hummers get very territorial over their food source during this brief period and will often stake out a perch to dive bomb a competitor that flies in.
Jewelweed is a self-seeding annual that grows in moist soils. The bright orange-yellow flowers bloom in August providing nectar for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds which do the bulk of the pollinating. When the flower ripens, it develops seeds that literally spring explosively from the plant giving it the nickname “touch-me-not”. In addition to being a great pollinator plant, this native is great to cultivate because it will cover a large area in dense stands that shade out invasives. After the first frost hits, the plant shrinks to almost nothing leaving no plant material residue which makes it an easy plant to care for in your yard. As long as the soil stays moist and partly shady, it should regrow the following year.
