Indian Pink

Spigelia marilandica

Indian Pink is one of the most striking hummingbird plants in the native perennial world. the tubular flowers are bright scarlet red on the outside, opening to a pure, starry yellow interior at the tip. This two-tone effect is specifically evolved for hummingbird pollination, and the birds find it reliably from late May through July. The upright, one-to-two-foot clumps are clean and tidy, with dark green, opposite leaves that hold beautifully all season, making Indian Pink an excellent front-of-border plant even when out of bloom. While it's a southeastern native best suited to moist, rich, woodland-edge conditions, it performs remarkably well in part shade gardens throughout Virginia and the mid-Atlantic. Give it consistent moisture, some afternoon shade in hot summers, and rich soil, and it will come back reliably each year without spreading aggressively. A small mass planting under a high canopy at the edge of a lawn becomes a hummingbird station from June onward.