Expert: Long Island Gardener - 10/30/2006

Question
Are humming birds attracted to them?

Answer
The website Operation Rubythroat (http://www.rubythroat.org/RTHUTaxonomyMain.html) posts the basic facts about these tiny flying creatures: "The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is one of 338 hummingbird species, all of which occur ONLY in the Western Hemisphere."

This is an important point, Pam.

It certainly makes sense that the shape of a Calla Lily would make it a hummingbird magnet.  At the very least, these plants would get a LITTLE attention from the birds.

But ALL Hummingbirds are native to the Western Hemisphere.  ALL of them.

And Callas are native to Africa.  South Africa, to be exact.

I return to our friends at Operation Rubythroat: "If you see a Tarzan movie that takes place in Africa and you see a hummingbird flying around in the background, you know the film was probably shot in the Amazon River basin of South America or even on a studio lot in Hollywood."

Flowers that attract hummingbirds, say the experts at the Hummingbird Society (http://www.hummingbirdsociety.org/hottopics/attracting.asp), look at color, blossom shape and nectar volume.  Fragrance makes no difference: "Fragrance: Most hummingbird flowers have no fragrance, adding another reason as to why insects visit them infrequently. Hummingbirds have little or no sense of smell."

Now, nobody has declared yet that Hummingbirds WON'T visit a Calla Lily.  A conversation with the local Hummingbird Society might even lead to ways this would work.  They have shape, they have color, they may or may not have nectar.  See what they say!