Hummingbird FlowersHow to Attract HummingbirdsPlanting a garden with hummingbird flowers is very rewarding and is an excellent way to get God’s gift of living jewels visiting your yard. Flowers for hummingbirds can be anything from columbines to cactus. Hummingbird flowers will vary depending on your climate and where you live. For example you may grow fuchsias in San Francisco, hibiscus in Miami or cactus in the Southwest but they all attract hummingbirds.
Hummingbird Garden RequirementsFood The main requirement of any hummingbird plant is the abundance of hummingbird nectar for food. Tubular flowers hold a lot of nectar that make them popular with the hummingbirds. Red is the best way to attract hummingbirds to your garden to start with, but they have to have nectar to keep coming back. They will visit flowers of other colors, but red hummingbird flowers certainly attract them. So you may plant a variety of colors of hummingbird flowers, anything from red, orange, pink, purple, lavender, or white. They like them all.Costa like cactus flowers, 
Water It is important to provide water in your hummingbird garden. Provide a fine mist for the hummers to fly through or dripping water will also attract hummingbirds. I believe water is the number one way of attracting critters to your backyard. Perches Hummingbirds spend about eighty percent of their time perching and resting, so they need places to land and rest. So be sure and include places for them to rest in your hummingbird garden. They prefer high perches, so they can look down and keep an eye on their hummingbird flowers and feeders. Popular hummingbird garden flowersBee Balm, Monarda, perennial, not long lived where winters are warm and summers are long and hot, 2-4 feet tall, clusters of tubular flowers, scarlet, summer, needs lots of water Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis, perennial, native in the east, 2-4 feet tall, spikes of red one inch long flowers, summer, needs rich soil and lots of water 
Chinese Hibiscus, Malvaceae rosa-sinensis, evergreen shrub in warm areas, house plant in cold areas, flowers 4-8 inches wide, white, pink, apricot, red, orange, all summer, requires good drainage, sun and heatCigar Plant, Cuphea ignea, perennial, in warm areas, sun or part shade, ordinary soil, 1 foot tall, 1-1 /2 inch tubular flowers, red with a white tip, summer to fall, good for edging or baskets Columbine, Aquilegia, perennial, filtered sunlight preferred, spring and early summer, 2 inches to 4 feet, flowers up to 3 inches with long spurs, soft colors, replace plants about every three years Coral Bells, Heuchera, perennial, compact clumps of foliage good for an edging plant, bell shaped flowers on 15-30 inch stems, reddish, pink, or white, spring to August, light shade in hot areas, plenty of water 
Fuchsias, Fuchsia hybrida, summer annual, best in cool summer temperatures, partial shade, plenty of moisture, commonly grown in baskets (trailing types) or in landscape (shrub types) in temperate areas, showy pink to purplish flowers many times with white, from early summer until first frostHollyhock, Althaea rosea, summer perennial, short lived, very tall plant in back of flower bed or against a fence, summer, single or double flowers in white, pinks, rose, red, yellow, apricot and purple, not fussy Honeysuckle, Lonicera, evergreen or deciduous shrubs or vines, easy and dependable to grow, sun to light shade, average summer water, tubular flowers have abundant nectar, white, coral, red, summer Lupine, annual or perennial depending on type, many are native the the western United States, only cultivated types are suitable for the garden, Russell Lupines are good. Sun, good drainage required, Many flowers shaped similar to pea flowers on tall spikes, blues, white, pinks, yellow Late spring to summer
Mandevilla, Mandevilla splendens, M. amabilis, evergreen vine 20-30 feet in subtropical areas, in pots outdoors during the summer in moderate climates, clusters of 2-4 inch pink to red tubular flowers April - NovemberPenstemon, Penstemon, perennial, shrubs 1-10 feet, many native to California, tubular flowers Garden Penstemon, Phlox, many native to North America, annuals and perennials, Various forms and sizes. Showy flowers in white, pinks, rose, red, shades of lavenders and blue. Sun, average soil and water, spring or summer depending on type 
Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus, A hibiscus type of flower that may be grown in colder temperatures, deciduous shrub, flowers single or double in white, pinks, lavender, some have a darker crimson center, drought tolerant once established, summerSage, Salvia, annuals, biennials, perennials, tubular flowers white, pink, lavender, scarlet, blue ½-2 inches in whorls around the stem depending on species, summer to fall, 1 foot border plants up to 6 foot shrubs, average care, deer resistant Trumpet Creeper Vine, Campsis radicans, deciduous, fast growing vine to 40 feet, may trained as a shrub, native in the eastern US, clusters of trumpet shaped 3 inch flowers, orange red, also a yellow variety, easy to grow, but be sure you want it before you plant it because it does creep.
Start simpleStart with like with a planter or a hanging basket to attract hummingbirds. This is great for apartment living, too. But when you start seeing God’s living jewels coming in flitting from flower to flower, you will want to add more hummingbird flowers to your garden.
VarietyProvide a variety of flowers for hummingbirds throughout the season. They also eat small bugs and spiders off of the plants to get their protein.Plant CarePlant and water them and remove the spent flowers to encourage more to bloom. Learn some more garden tips.While you waiting for your hummingbird flowers to bloom you may want to hang up a hummingbird feeder for their voracious appetites. But you will be glad you have hummingbird plants when you see how rewarding it is to attract and feed hummingbirds. When the hummingbirds find a good spot, they will return year after year to your flower garden. How delightful! |
