Every garden needs hummingbirds! These tiny jeweled birds are a joy to observe zipping about from flower to flower. Sometimes they zoom by you close enough so that you can hear the whir of their wings and rapid trilling chirps. Because of their fast metabolisms, they have to eat every 10 to 15 minutes and will visit a 1,000 to 2,000 flowers per day! Their long beaks and grooved tongues are designed to sip nectar from many different kinds of flowers, though they gravitate toward reds, oranges, and pinks. Having a feeder in your yard, as well as various types of flowers with different bloom times, will entice these beautiful creatures to visit frequently. Provide water, too, in a misting fountain (they can’t use birdbaths), and leave dead sticks on trees or shrubs so they have a place to perch. They like to survey their territory, and sometimes they guard their favorite flowers or feeders.
Here is House Beautiful’s list of 10 beautiful plants that hummingbirds love:
Trumpet Honeysuckle. This hardy sun-loving perennial vine has tubular flowers that hummingbirds, love. Read the plant label or description carefully: You want to plant the native (Lonicera sempervivens) or the Dutch variety (Lonicera pericylmenum), not the invasive Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), which will take over your yard.
This spring-blooming perennial has gorgeous flowers with long spikey tails, and it’s one of the earliest sources of nectar for hummingbirds. It prefers part shade.
Cuphea. Bright orange or red tubular flowers cover this hardy annual. Cuphea, also called firecracker plant, is irresistible to hummingbirds. It’s a sun-lover, but keep it watered during the hottest part of the summer.
This shade-loving annual has exquisite drooping flowers that beckon to hummingbirds. It looks best draping out of hanging pots, baskets or window boxes.
Rose of Sharon is a hardy shrub that starts flowering late in the season when much of the rest of the garden is winding down. Its huge flowers are magnets for hummingbirds and other pollinators.
Salvia. Salvia blooms for weeks on end from early to mid-summer, and it comes in many different shades of purples, deep pinks, and blues. Newer varieties make a tidy mound of attractive foliage, instead of flopping over.
Cardinal Flower. Hummingbirds like the red and yellow trumpet-shaped flowers on this native perennial. It’s hardy in warmer climates and has a spreading habit (up to 5 feet wide) that makes it a good ground cover or border. It prefers part to full sun.
Catmint. Catmint is a sturdy sun perennial with fuzzy foliage and purple-blue flower spikes that last for several weeks in early to mid-summer. It has a pleasant spicy-minty scent.
Torenia. These pink and white or pink and purple flowers that resemble snapdragons last from spring to fall, providing a source of nectar all season long for hummingbirds. Torenia, also called wishbone flowers, are annuals that do best in part sun.
Bee Balm. This perennial is a favorite that all pollinators adore! The fringed flowers are heat tolerant and come in pinks, reds, and purples. Bee balm looks best planted in huge sunny swaths, which also makes it easier for hummingbirds to spot!
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