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Gardening with Doug

Doug Oster Doug Oster

Monarchs and hummingbirds visit the garden

I was so excited to see two monarchs flying around and enjoying the tithonia (Mexican sunflower) ‘Torch.’
It’s one of my favorite plants for pollinators. Tithonia is a half hardy annual, meaning it takes a hard freeze to kill it at the end of the season.
‘Torch’ is a 1951 All America Selection which can get 15 feet tall. Even though it’s a sun lover, the plant will bloom just about anywhere and needs nothing from the gardener.
Mine are started from seed in April and transplanted to the garden in mid-May.
I only saw the hummingbird for an instant as it perched on a tomato cage.

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