Although I discovered that hummingbirds flap their wings more than 50 times per second, I must admit I didn’t really believe that statistic until the day a hummingbird hovered right next to my ear. The distinctive whir I heard made me a believer.
Besides the chance of a having these winged creatures stop by your ear—or hover in front of your face—seeing hummingbirds flit about the garden is delightful. These birdies sustain their hyper-metabolisms by dipping their beaks into 1,000 to 2,000 flowers a day.
If you’re thinking that
hummingbirds need your help maintaining their “high-flying lifestyle,” you’re correct. The more hummingbird-friendly plants you include in your landscape, the more of these little beauties you’ll attract.
Here are some of the top hummingbird plants sure to land your yard on the “A” list of hummingbird dining. Keep in mind that hummingbirds gravitate toward tubular flowers. The color red is one of their favorites (hence the red hummingbird feeders.)
Bee Balm (Monarda)
In addition to attracting bees, this pretty perennial lures hummingbirds.
Bee balmis a bushy plant with leaves featuring the aroma of mint or mint/basil. Most bee balm has red, white or pink blooms. The plant grows in full sun or morning sun and afternoon shade.
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia Cardinalis)
As its name suggests, this plant possesses vivid red flowers that are also tubular. It blooms throughout the summer months, providing hummingbirds with sweet nectar. Cardinal flower grows in morning sun and afternoon shade.
Daylily (Hemerocallis)
Enjoy big trumpet-shaped blooms from this plant all summer long. Daylily flowers come in red, yellow, orange, pink, purple and multi-colored, variegated blooms. Plant in full sun to part shade.
Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
This easy-to-grow plant is well-known for its tubular white or pink flowers filled with sweet nectar that lures humans and hummingbirds. The plant comes in shrub and vine forms. Honeysuckle requires full sun to bloom well.
Mandevilla
An elegant vine, mandevilla produces trumpet-shaped flowers in red, white and pink. The plant is a good climber and provides a tropical look to the landscape. Mandevilla is often grown as an annual, although it will overwinter outdoors in mild climates and
indoors.
Penstemon
Sporting bell-shaped flowers that come in many colors, including red, purple, white and pink, penstemon grows best in full sun to part-shade. There are 300 species of penstemon, so you have a lot to choose from for your garden.
Petunia
These popular bell-shaped annuals come in a wide variety of colors. You’ll find red, white, purple, pink and multi-colored blooms.
Petunias grow best in full sun.
Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.
