Hi Eric,
" Do the hummingbirds like the tubular zinnia? "
The tubular zinnias are mixed in with the non-tubular and conventional zinnia blooms. The hummingbirds dart around my zinnia patch rather rapidly, and I have not observed any difference in the time spent per bloom based on the bloom type. They typically spend only a few seconds per bloom visited, as contrasted with the time spent on the hummingbird feeder I have hanging in my zinnia patch, which can be a minute or longer.
There were two hummingbirds and a wasp on the feeder when I snapped that photo. Some hummingbirds are aggressive and chase any other hummingbird off of the feeder. Sometimes an aerial battle involving several hummingbirds develops. Incidentally, the feeder is hanging from a Mimosa tree limb that stretches out over my zinnia patch, and hummingbirds also get nectar from the blooms on the Mimosa tree. When I am pollinating zinnias I get used to the fluttering-purring sound of nearby hummingbirds. Sometimes one will pass within inches of my head, which makes me glad I am wearing glasses, because they have very thin sharp beaks. One even paused a few inches in front of my head, looking straight at me, apparently seeing his reflection in my glasses.
ZM
