Native Plants Fuel the Hummingbird Highway

North Central Washington is on the map for migrating neotropical Rufous, Calliope, and Black-chinned hummingbirds, as they fly thousands of miles from their wintering habitats in the mountains of Western Mexico northward, as far north as southern Alaska. During migration they fly during the day, and use early mornings and late evenings to fuel up on nectar, insects, and sugar water in feeders. Abundant nectar-producing flowers on early-blooming native shrubs like Serviceberry and Currents offer critical calories that fuel long-distant flight.

Calliope, Rufous, and Black-chinned Hummingbirds arrive to nest and rear young in the Wenatchee Watershed, and depend upon flower nectar of native blooming trees, shrubs, vines, and wildflowers from April through September. Our shrubby canyons, river corridors, lakesides, and forest openings all are critical habitat for hummingbirds because of the nectar-producing plants that grow and thrive there. A 4th resident species, Anna’s Hummingbird, is not a long-distant migrant, but also utilizes these same nectar sources.

In April-May, look for this sprawling native deciduous shrub Golden Current (Ribes aureum) in the Western U.S. shrub-steppe, along streams and rivers, or at the base of cliffs. In early spring, its bright green leaves really stand out in the sagebrush grasslands. The fruits ripen in early summer, and provide food for songbirds, chipmunks, and ground squirrels.

Wax current (Ribes cereum) grows and flowers in spring in shrub-steppe’s dry open slopes, and later on sub-alpine ridges all throughout the Great Basin of the Western U.S. Like Golden Current, it is one of the earliest deciduous shrubs to sport bright green leaves and flowers in early spring. It is smaller and more compact than Golden Current. Its translucent red berries are food for songbirds and small mammals.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) is in full bloom, starting in April in the low elevation valleys of central Washington. Over the next few months, you can follow its bloom, by going up in elevation week-by-week, as a way to travel back in time! Wenatchee Valley berries ripen in early June, providing abundant food for wildlife and people. Check out my “Curious About… Serviceberry” blog to learn more about this widespread and important western U.S. native plant.

Our most spectacular native current is Red-flowering Current (Ribes sanguineum) that has been cultivated widely as an eye-catching home landscape plant. It it native to Western Washington and to our Wenatchee Mountains, but the cultivated forms are popular across the US, in England and in Europe. I purchased one plant at my local native plant nursery, Derby Canyon Natives, and I enjoy the blossoms’ vivid color out my kitchen window in April. This spring, consider adding native plants into your home as a way to provide both food and habitat for a wide range of native pollinator insects and birds.

I invite you to learn more about the Washington Native Plant Society and to join the Wenatchee Valley Chapter. Check out our programs and field trips. Our chapter is offering small, in-person field trips later this spring, so keep an eye on the calendar. The mission of the Washington Native Plant Society is to promote the appreciation and conservation of Washington’s native plants and their habitats through study, education, and advocacy. I invite you to take a look at my slideshows featuring Wenatchee Watershed’s common native shrubs and wildflowers, and learn about field guides in my bibliography. Help celebrate spring by heading out to the shrub-steppe to see what’s blooming! Be sure to take along a pair of binoculars to look at hummingbirds as they migrate along the Hummingbird Highway.

A collaboration between the U.S. Forest Service and Montana artist, Nancy Seiler, resulted in the publications of excellent brochures tailored to the home gardener who wants to add native plants that provide food for local native pollinators, including insects and hummingbirds. Brochures are available for free download on Nancy Seiler’s website, or here:

Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden Using Native Plants

Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden Using Native Plants

Pollinator Activity Guide Offers activities for children, families, and classrooms