Looking to attract hummingbirds to your landscape this year? Then it is time to start growing the plants and flowers they love most!
There is simply something so incredible about watching a hummingbird fly about and feed. Viewing the tiny bird in action with its blazingly fast wings makes for some of the best bird watching around.
But for many, getting hummingbirds to visit can be a challenge. More often than not, the issue all comes down to having a landscape that simply doesn’t offer them the plants and flowers they love most.
Yes, it is true that hummingbird feeders can draw in our little flying friends. Buy they can also put them at risk of attack from cats and other unfriendly bird foes. Especially when they are sitting out in the open with no additional cover around.
But plants can change all of that! In fact, nothing will attract hummingbirds more than growing the blooming perennials and annuals they love most. The sweet nectar and the cover of the foliage provide them with a safety net that keeps them coming back, time and time again!
What Attracts Hummingbirds…
Although hummingbirds do not have an overly active sense of smell, they are highly attracted to bright colors. And in addition to bright colors, hummingbirds look to find safety and security as they feed.
Nothing provides that more than a canopy of foliage filled with the blooms and nectar they love most. With that in mind, here are 6 great plants to grow that will have hummingbirds flying into your backyard to stay!
6 Flowers That Will Attract Hummingbirds To Your Landscape
#1 – Hostas
When it comes to perennials that hummingbirds love, hostas are near the top of the list. This shade loving plant not only fills flowerbeds with beautiful foliage, but also produces a long, spiky bloom filled with nectar.
And do hummingbirds ever love it! The tall bloom stems make it easy for them to work the flowers at will. Even more, most hostas bloom for up to a month or more, giving hummingbirds an extended source of food throughout the summer months.
Even better, hostas are an extremely low-maintenance perennial for gardeners to maintain. They require little annual care other than cutting back and dividing when they become too large for their space. (See: How To Care For Hosta Plants)
But perhaps best of all, in addition to bringing a whole host of pollinators to your yard, hostas add big interest with their showy foliage. With their many varying shades of green and white, along with a wide variety of variegated styles, they can fill your landscape with interest.
#2 – Bee Balm – How To Attract Hummingbirds To Your Landscape
Bee balm is truly one of the hummingbird’s favorite plants of all. This hardy perennial just happens to look fantastic in the landscape as well!
Bee balms long, spiky, nectar filled blooms match up well with the hummingbird’s long bill. The bright, showy blooms attract them in large numbers, and they will continue to come back to the plant time and time again to work its blooms
Bee balm thrives best in full sun, and should be planted in an area that drains well. To help keep plants blooming longer, remove spent blooms as they die off. Although bee balm can be found in white, pink and purple, varieties in red will work best to attract hummingbirds.
#3 – Petunias
Love flowering containers on your patio and deck? This year, fill those pots with gorgeous, ever-blooming petunias, and watch the hummingbirds flock to their blooms! (see photo at the top of the article)
Petunias are one of the best annual plants to grow to attract hummingbirds. Their long, fluted and brightly colored blooms serve as a calling card for the sweet nectar hummingbirds love and crave. And not only do petunias bloom big, they keep on blooming from spring until the first frost!
#4 Zinnia – How To Attract Hummingbirds To Your Landscape
Zinnias really are the ultimate multi-purpose annual for your landscape. Not only do they provide huge all-season blooming color with their bright blooms, they also attract pollinators in large numbers. Even more, they can keep pests away too!
Bees, butterflies and yes, hummingbirds all love to work the blooms of zinnias. With bright flowers that can range from purple, pink, yellow, white and beautiful shades of orange, they are a welcome addition to flowerbeds, containers and gardens.
But the power of the zinnia doesn’t just stop there! This annual is also known to help repel many common garden pests as well. Zinnias prefer full sun but can grow well in partial shade too. They are fairly drought tolerant and deer-resistant as well.
#5 Daylilies – How To Attract Hummingbirds To Your Landscape
Much like hostas, daylilies are a wonderful low-maintenance perennial to add to your landscape. But this tough as nails, hardy perennial also happens to be a favorite for hummingbirds too!
With their elongated blooms, daylilies provide an excellent source of nectar for the long-billed hummingbird. Their dense foliage also provides plenty of cover while the birds work the numerous, long lasting blooms.
Daylilies come in a near endless array of varieties, but to attract hummingbirds all season long, select varieties such as Stella D’oro that continue to bloom all season long.
#6 – Red Hot Pokers (Kniphofia) – How To Attract Hummingbirds To Your Landscape
Originating from South Africa, the Red Hot Poker or Torch Lily as it is sometimes called, is a beautiful addition to any landscape. And does it ever attract hummingbirds!
Although officially known as Kniphofia, this low growing evergreen-style perennial shoots up tall spiky blooms that hummingbirds love. But this beautiful plant also brings in loads of bees and butterflies too, making it one of the best perennial choices around as a true pollinator plant.
Available in varieties with red, yellow, orange or combinations of all three, the brightly colored blooms look great when clumped together. Red hot pokers thrive in full sun, and are fairly drought tolerant as well.
Hardy in zones 5 through 9, they are the perfect choice to plant in open beds, rock gardens, or sunny areas right near outdoor patios. Here is to planting some of the gorgeous plants listed above, and to bringing in more hummingbirds than ever this year to your landscape!
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