Zone: 5 to 9

Soil: sand to loam

Light: part sun to shade

Bloom colour: Red with yellow

Bloom period: June and again in late August

Height: 1 to 2 feet

Moisture: Fairly dry to moist

Attracts: Hummingbirds

Notes: This is a beautiful plant that grows on woodland edges. You need to plant several specimens to attract the attention of hummingbirds. It is not native to Ontario, but is native to southern New England and the mid-west. Unfortunately, it is rarely sold in nurseries and you have to look around. It does well in a well drained soil. The flowerheads may contain up to ten flowers, but only one or two are open at any particular time. The individual flowers bloom over a period of a month. New growth on the plant in August will result in another bloom at this time. The plant will survive winters in southern Ontario, but it does not emerge till the middle of May. In my garden, it is one of the last perennials to emerge after the winter. Young plants may actually emerge even later so be patient.

There are other plants that get more attention from hummingbirds than this one, but this plant looks fantastic in groups at the front of the border.