There are many flowers that can attract hummingbirds, but some are better at enticing these flying jewels than others.
When choosing hummingbird flowers for your garden or landscape, look for blooms with rich, bright colors (red flowers are particular hummingbird favorites), long or tapered shapes that can accommodate the hovering birds’ long bills, and plentiful nectar to keep them coming back for more sips.
Native plants are always preferred because hummingbirds will be more familiar with the flowers and the plants will thrive with minimal care. Also, consider plants with a long bloom time or repeat blooming, which will provide a reliable food source for hummingbirds for many weeks.
The same plants loved by hummingbirds will also be attractive to butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. Check your local nursery or landscaping center for popular and appropriate cultivars for your area, and create your own hummingbird habitat today.
The 10 Flowers that Attract Hummingbirds
1. Bee Balm
Bee Balm is a gorgeous red, purple, or pink flower with unique petals. It is a long-blooming perennial plant that belongs to the mint family. Bee balm is hardy in USDA growing zones four through nine and does best in full sun and slightly acidic soil.
2. Red Columbine
The blooms from the Red Columbine plant are perfect for a hummingbird to reach its long beak into. These plants grow two feet tall and have vibrant red and orange flowers. They perform best in partial shade and do well in growing zones two through eight.
3. Phlox
Phlox is one of the most common plants used to attract hummingbirds to yards. These flowers have unique looks for every cultivar, some of which have variegated foliage. Grow Phlox plants in full sun in northern regions and partial sun in southern regions.
4. Blue Lupine
You probably haven’t seen anything like the Blue Lupine in a while. This plant is native to North America and has pointy foliage with deep blue flowers.
5. Hollyhocks
Hollyhocks are sun-loving plants that stand tall to attract the attention of pollinators. They are technically biennials but are easy to treat as perennials as well.
6. Salvia
If you live somewhere that’s a bit colder, the perfect cold-hardy plant that still attracts hummingbirds is Salvia. These spikey bluish-purple flowers smell amazing and only stand 18 to 24 inches tall.
7. Impatiens
Shady beds are perfectly capable of attracting hummingbirds as well. The Impatiens is a small annual plant that thrives in the shade. It doesn’t grow over a foot tall and is a perfect solution for bare spots in your hummingbird flower beds.
8. Butterfly Bush
These flowers aren’t only good at attracting butterflies. The Butterfly bush has a long, skinny cone full of smaller flowers and lots of nectar. Be careful when planting these, though, because they can spread 15 feet wide and reach over 12 feet tall.
9. Rhododendron
Rhododendrons are evergreen bushes with leathery and dark green foliage. Thankfully, the bright flowers are the first to bloom in the springs and are going to catch the eyes of nearby hummingbirds right away.
10. Trumpet Vine
This plant produces orange and red blooms in the shape of trumpets. It is a vining plant, so they require an arbor, fence, or trellis for support. Still, they make a beautiful wall of flowers and the perfect snack for a nearby hummingbird.