The nest of the hummingbird is about the size of a walnut. It is built on a tree branch using spider webs and plant fibers, including the wool of the cinnamon fern. The outside of the nest is covered with lichens and moss.

Among the many benefits of gardening are the wildlife food and cover which gardens can furnish. Hummingbirds are among the most delightful of the wild creatures attracted to gardens. Including plants which encourage hummingbirds to visit can greatly enhance the charm of the garden, in more ways than one. The presence of the hummingbirds themselves adds greatly to the interest of the garden. Furthermore, the plants attractive to hummingbirds tend also to appeal to people.

This catalog includes a number such plants. Cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis, is a favorite food of hummingbirds. One of the materials hummingbirds use to construct the inner lining of the nest is the soft wool which covers the fiddleheads and leaf stalks of the cinnamon fern, Osmunda cinnamomea. Additional plants which appeal to hummingbirds may be located using our categories page. This page also identifies offerings which attract other birds and wildlife.