Monday, August 25, 2008

Only Hummingbirds Need Apply

"Pollinator wanted, must have extremely long tongue." These Nicotiana sylvestris flowers are meant for hummingbirds. The slender flowers have long tubes that make pollination difficult for anyone else. Like my other Nicotiana the fragrance of these flowers is enticing.

This is not a meek little plant. The leaves near the ground on this plant are over 21 inches long and at least12 inches wide. ( I measured!) This one needs some space! I bought the original plant some years ago and now volunteers comes up from seed somewhere in the garden every year. It's great fun to watch the hummers feed from these skinny hanging trumpets.

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