11 Flowers That Can Attract Hummingbirds To Your Home Garden

Is there a more pleasing sight than watching a hummingbird flitting about in your home garden? No, right.

Let your inner gardener out by planting nectar-rich flowers that attract these bright-featured birds. This way, you can enjoy their visits more often and help your local ecosystem too. Take a look at 11 such flowers that not only attract hummingbirds but are also flowers that attract bees and other crucial pollinators. Here's a list.

1) Beardtongue

Sun exposure: Full sun

Hardy zones: 3 to 9 (defined at the end of the article)

beardtongue

Beardtongue, or penstemon, is a long-standing favourite of hummingbirds. Depending on the variety, this drought-tolerant plant is suitable for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) growing zones 3 to 9.

Beardtongue grows yard-long stems that support bright magenta tubular flowers ¨C a sure win to attract hummingbirds.

Plant in the spring in well-drained soil. Beardtongue loves the sun and plants several varieties for blooms from spring to summer and in an array of colours for even the most finicky hummingbird. Mulch well to control weeds, and cut the stems back after the blooms are spent.

2) Red Columbine

Sun exposure: light to moderate shade to full sun

Hardy zones: 2 to 9

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Red-flowered varieties of this early spring North American wildflower are particularly nutritious for hummingbirds. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the nectar of red columbine varieties has twice the sugar content of other native columbines. It re-seeds readily.

3) Bee Balm

Sun exposure: Full sun

Hardy zones: 3 to 9

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Another sun-loving plant, bee balm, likes moist, but not wet, soil. Hardy, happy bee balm will thrive in USDA zones 3 to 9 and is fairly easy to care for. Beware, however, because bee balm is in the mint family, so just as when you're growing mint, it will take over the growing area if you let it. Plant in the spring or fall for a mass of colourful flowers and watch the hummingbirds buzz in. Leave the seed heads on the stems for other visiting birds in the fall.

4) Zinnia

Sun exposure: Full sun

Hardy zones: 2 to 11; normally grown as an annual

Zinnia

Zinnia is among the easiest of all annual flowers to grow, with bright bloom colours that make them a favourite of hummingbirds and other pollinators. Most garden zinnias are cultivars of a few species within the Zinnia genus, especially Z. elegans, the common zinnia. Hundreds of cultivars are available, categorised by groups according to their growth habit and flower shape.

Heights range from six inches to about four feet, and flower colours are available in nearly every hue. After the hummingbirds have had their fill of the nectar, seeds will develop as the flowers mature, attracting finches and other seed-loving birds. Zinnias also make excellent cut flowers.

They like moist soil but can be susceptible to fungal diseases in humid conditions or when the foliage gets wet during watering. Give the plants ample space to encourage air circulation and avoid overhead watering.

5) Sunflower

Sun exposure: Full sun

Hardy zones: 4 to 9

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All pollinators seem to love sunflowers! Hummingbirds, in particular, flock to them for their numerous and teeny tubular-shaped flowers (that make up the dark centre) that are loaded with nectar. Sunflowers are native throughout North America, boasting 52 species.

6) Trumpet Honeysuckle

Sun exposure: Full to part sun

Hardy zones: 4 to 9

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The bright red tubular flowers of trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) signal an open buffet to our hummingbird friends. Unlike the invasive honeysuckle, you might be more familiar with, this species is native to the Southeastern United States. Consider planting this climbing perennial near a tree, wall, fence, or other garden structure.

7) Jewelweed

Sun exposure: Full to part sun

Hardy zones: 2 to 11

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Spunky jewelweed grows in USDA zones 2 to 11 and is native to the United States. The bright, red-flecked, orange flowers that attract hummingbirds are a beautiful addition to a hummingbird-friendly garden.

Jewelweed grows up to 5 feet and flowers from mid-summer to the frost. It likes moist, shady areas and welcomes cross-pollination by hummingbirds and insects. Sow seeds in the early part of fall, and once established, jewelweed will self-seed.

8) Hummingbird Fuchsia

Sun exposure: Dappled sunlight or part shade (it's even okay in full sun in areas that are not too hot)

Hardy zones: 6 to 9

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Also known as hardy fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica), this species is a hummingbird magnet. Grow it as a perennial shrub or in a container or hanging basket.

9) Cardinal

Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Hardy zones: 2 to 9

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A red cousin of the blue lobelia, the pretty red cardinal flower is as cheery as the bird of the same name. It is adaptable to various soils but likes to be in moist areas near streams or garden ponds. It is happy in USDA zones 2 to 9 and can grow to a height of 3 or 4 feet. The blooms appear mid-summer until late fall, giving hummingbirds a late-season treat.

10) Scarlet Sage

Sun exposure: Full sun

Hardy zones: 9 to 10, and will reseed readily in zones 6 to 8

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Scarlet sage is the only sage native to the United States with red flowers. It can be grown annually in cooler zones but thrives in zones 9 and 10. It is fast-growing and sturdy, growing up to 4 feet in sunlight.

Its cousin, blue sage, or salvia azurea, is among the flowers attracting hummingbirds. Blue sage is hardy in zones 4 to 9, producing dark blue flowers in mid-summer to early fall. Like scarlet sage, it likes the sun.

11) Petunias

Sun exposure: Full sun

Hardy zones: Perennial in zones 10 to 11; annual elsewhere

petunias

Petunias are one of the most popular annual flowers since they are very easy to grow and inexpensive. They work well in just about any sunny garden location and are also favourites for containers, borders, and baskets in small spaces. The flower thrives best in full sun and will bloom repeatedly, providing abundant nectar for hungry hummingbirds.

What are hardy zones?

A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. The USDA developed the original and most widely used system as a rough guide for landscaping and gardening, defining 13 zones by long-term average annual extreme minimum temperatures. In the United States, most of the warmer zones (zones 9, 10, and 11) are located in the deep southern half of the country and on the southern coastal margins. Higher zones can be found in Hawaii (up to 12) and Puerto Rico (up to 13). The southern middle portion of the mainland and central coastal areas are in the middle zones (zones 8, 7, and 6). The far northern portion on the central interior of the mainland have some of the coldest zones (zones 5, 4, and small area of zone 3) and often have much less consistent range of temperatures in winter due to being more continental, especially further west with higher diurnal temperature variations, and thus the zone map has its limitations in these areas. Lower zones can be found in Alaska (down to 1).

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Pro tip

The key to choosing plants hummingbirds will be drawn to is to go for brightly-coloured plants with the physical characteristics that suit these amazing little avians. Dot these throughout your flower bed ideas, and let nature do the rest.

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