Hummingbirds are such interesting birds that many people enjoy having in their yards. If you have seen hummingbirds up close, then you know just how remarkable they are.
When hummingbirds are comfortable with you and they like your property, it isn’t too unusual for them to get really close to you. Some of them will even hover right in your face sometimes.
If you’re a bird enthusiast then you might want to do what you can to try to attract hummingbirds to your property. The best way to do this is to ensure that your yard is a good spot where the hummingbirds can get food.
Hummingbirds are known for having incredibly fast metabolisms, and this means that they need to seek out food constantly. They’re always on the move going from flower to flower trying to find the nectar that they need.
There are going to be certain flowers that you can plant on your property that will attract hummingbirds better than others. Keep reading to learn about the best flowers that will help you to attract hummingbirds to your yard.
1 – Petunias
Petunias are going to be among the best flowers that you can grow in your garden when you’re trying to attract hummingbirds. One of the good things about petunias is that they’re very beautiful and they add a lot of aesthetic appeal to your yard.
You can find petunias in many different colors, but hummingbirds might be the most interested in the flowers if they’re red. They’ll love petunias as a source of nectar no matter what, but hummingbirds are very much attracted to the color red.
This is a really good flower to grow in your garden because of how easy it is to care for the petunias. These are so easy to grow that they’re often given to people who aren’t particularly great with flowers who still want to be able to have something pretty in their yards.
You can place petunias in just about any spot in your garden so long as it’s sunny. Many people like using these flowers to create borders, but they also work well in containers if you’d like to go that route.
2 – Columbine
Growing columbine flowers will be another very great idea when you’re trying to attract hummingbirds to the yard. They’re most commonly used as edging plants because of how perfectly they work near fences and in flower beds.
These gorgeous flowers can grow between one and three feet high when you care for them right. What variety of columbine flowers you’re growing will help to determine the height potential as well.
This is a very pretty flower type that hummingbirds are going to adore. If you’re looking for another flower that will add color and charm to your garden area, then this is going to fit the bill.
It’s also nice to know that these are perennial flowers that are relatively easy to grow. You don’t need to be a botanist to have good luck growing columbine flowers, and they’ll look really nice in your yard.
3 – Trumpet Creeper (A.K.A. Trumpet Vine)
Trumpet creeper flowers are interesting ones to keep in your yard. This is a plant that spreads fast and it will climb walls or other surfaces.
If you want to create an interesting look in your yard, then you could use some lattice or fencing to allow the trumpet creeper to climb. Some people refer to it as a trumpet vine because of how it looks and grows.
This plant will do best in full sun, but it’s also going to do fine in partial shade. The only problem with growing trumpet creeper flowers will be how invasive they can be.
You might need to be a bit aggressive with your pruning if you want to keep trumpet vine flowers under control. It can take over an area if you’re too lackadaisical about things, and that means that you need to stay on top of what’s going on in your yard.
4 – Butterfly Bush
The butterfly bush is named as such because it’s commonly planted in gardens to attract butterflies. It’s also quite good for attracting hummingbirds, and you’ll like having it in your yard.
This is a type of flowering shrub that produces pretty blooms in clusters. It’ll keep flowering like this from the middle of the summer and through the autumn months.
It’s also nice to know that this is a drought-tolerant plant because that might make it more practical for people who live in certain areas that don’t get a lot of rain. It thrives in full sun and it’s easy to keep a butterfly bush looking full and beautiful.
You’ll also find that different types of birds will use butterfly bushes for shelter. Overall, this is a good one to consider for your garden when you’re attempting to attract more hummingbirds to the area.
5 – Lupines
This idea may or may not work out well for you. Lupines are superb for attracting hummingbirds, but they often don’t do so hot in garden areas.
However, there are some hybrid lupines on the market that will work well in gardens. They’re a bit short-lived, but they’re still nice perennial flowers that you can keep around.
People often like to use lupines to help attract hummingbirds in the early spring.
This works out nicely because lupines will flower before many other flower types, and they can be an important food source for hummingbirds. If you really care about the hummingbirds in your area, then it’s well worth looking into getting some hybrid lupines for your garden.
Average lupines will grow to be three or four feet tall, but you could buy dwarf variants that will be a bit less than two feet tall if you’d prefer that. You’ll have to replant them every three years, but they’re a good flower when your goal is to keep the hummingbirds happy.
6 – Bleeding Heart
Bleeding heart blooms will also do an admirable job of attracting hummingbirds to your garden. This perennial plant is a favorite because of how amazing it looks.
It’s a true head-turner when it comes to plants that have beautiful foliage. The blooms are sort of heart-shaped and they’re going to be either white or pink.
You can easily see why this is a popular plant from an aesthetic perspective, but it’s also a good option for hummingbird lovers. You might not be able to get good results when growing this plant unless you live in a cooler climate, though.
During the hot days of the summer, the foliage might turn yellow and you’ll see the plant die back. Don’t fret because it’ll return in the spring and continue to be a good source of food for the hummingbirds.
7 – Salvia
Salvia is considered to be a type of mint plant, and there are actually quite a few different species to consider. The most common ones that you’ll find in garden areas will be perennials.
You could definitely find a good spot in your yard for salvia plants. They have tall and spiky flowers that look nice and provide a good food source for local hummingbirds.
People often choose to place salvia plants toward the back of their flowerbeds. They’d look good in many different spots, though, and you can decide how to best use them.
The flowers are going to come out in the middle of the summer and will bloom until the late days of summer. They can keep blooming if you do a good job of keeping them moist, too.
If you’re looking for easy plants to grow, then considering salvia is a good idea. This is another one that doesn’t require a lot of effort or expertise to take care of, and that makes it a good plant for beginners.
8 – Zinnia
Speaking of easy plants to grow, it might be a good idea to plant some zinnias in your garden. These annual flowers are so bright and cheery that they’re sure to make you feel happy.
Aside from being good at attracting hummingbirds, these flowers can add a lot to the overall presentation of your garden area. They’re going to stand out due to how bright they are, and that actually helps them to catch the eyes of nearby hummingbirds.
You’ll find hundreds of different cultivars of zinnias on the market to choose from. It’s possible to get zinnias that will grow as high as four feet tall, but some will only grow to six inches tall.
Remember that these zinnias like moist soil the best. You will need to be a bit careful about fungal problems, but this just means that you shouldn’t go overboard when watering these flowers.
Spacing the zinnias out a bit will make it easier for them to dry due to air circulation. You should also water them from the base of the plant so that you’re not getting the flowers and stems wet unnecessarily.
These plants do great in full sun and you’re going to be able to put them in many places in your yard if you want to. Overall, this is a plant that’s easy to care for and will benefit your garden greatly.
9 – Cardinal Flowers
Cardinal flowers are perennials that have long stalks of flowers. They can grow to heights of four feet tall and do a superb job of attracting hummingbirds.
Anyone who wants their garden area to provide ample food for hummingbirds will want to consider planting cardinal flowers. The red blooms do a great job of getting the attention of the hummingbirds and the long stalks will produce plenty of flowers with nectar that the hummingbirds can eat.
It’s also notable that these flowers look quite nice and add color to your garden area. If you’re looking for something striking that will catch peoples’ eyes, then consider planting some cardinal flowers.
You’ll probably want to put these flowers toward the back of your garden bed. Keeping the soil moist is a good idea for these flowers, and that can be a bit easier if you’re using mulch.
10 – Bee Balm
Bee balm plants are kind of strange at first glance, but they really do grab your attention. The flowers are sort of spiky, but they also have a round shape that makes them more intriguing.
Hummingbirds really seem to flock to these flowers and they love using them as a food source. The flowers are called bee balm because they also happen to attract bees to the area.
You’ll likely see more butterflies around if you decide to plant bee balm. They just seem to attract pollinating creatures even better than many other plants.
You can expect bee balm plants to grow between two and four feet tall. They can be a very fun addition to your garden if you’re looking for flowers that look unique while still doing a great job of getting the attention of hummingbirds.
11 – Delphinium
Delphinium will be another great source of food for hummingbirds that will work well in your yard. This is going to be a good option if you’d like to have some plants that can reach higher heights.
You see, delphinium plants can grow to be five feet tall, and they’re also going to do a good job of producing lots of nectar for hummingbirds. To add to this, you’ll be able to grow delphinium in many different parts of the world.
These plants can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 9. That makes them a great candidate for most people who are living in North America.
The most common color that you’ll find delphiniums in will be blue. They look really nice and you just might find these to be an ideal addition to your yard.
12 – Coral Bells
Coral bells will be a cool little addition to your garden if you’re looking for a small plant. Both the plants and the flowers on this plant are small, but they’re still capable of attracting hummingbirds to your yard.
These are perennials that can be grown in full sun and they’re only going to be around five inches tall when not in bloom. It could be useful to you as a type of border plant in your flower beds.
Many of the most popular cultivars of coral bells will produce yellow flowers. They should do a good job of adding a bit of color to the flowerbed while also producing food for the hummingbirds.
13 – Rose of Sharon
The Rose of Sharon is a type of shrub that has the potential to grow pretty tall. It could grow between eight and ten feet tall and it’ll be four to six feet wide.
You’ll find that it’s a good thing to have in your yard for hummingbirds since it’s a late-blooming shrub. It’ll be a good food source for hummingbirds when the blooms do come out.
People also just like these shrubs because of how pretty they are and how colorful the blooms can be. The blooms can be different colors such as red, blue, white, or even pink.
If you have a choice, then you should try to go for red flowers since those will do the best job of attracting hummingbirds. Either way, this shrub is going to be very beneficial to keep around.
Just make sure that you put this shrub in full sun so that it can thrive. It’s also going to be wise to prune it from time to time since it can benefit greatly from that.
14 – Fuchsia
Fuchsia is probably most commonly seen being grown in hanging baskets in North America. You usually want to grow fuchsia plants in the shade to get good results.
The reason why fuchsia is on the list is that hummingbirds seem to go wild for it. This is a great one to place near areas where you’d like to spot hummingbirds.
Some people will grow them in hanging baskets near their porches or patios in the hopes that they’ll be able to spot hummingbirds feeding on the nectar of the plants. It works really well, and you’ll also just enjoy how fuchsia plants look.
They produce flowers that vary in color from red to pink, white, violet, and purple. Some even have bi-colored flowers that can be quite a sight to behold.
15 – Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle vines can be really helpful when you want more hummingbirds coming to your yard. The scarlet flowers that are produced by the honeysuckle vines do a fantastic job of attracting hummingbirds.
The color is part of the reason why hummingbirds like these flowers so much, but they also enjoy it because it’s such a great source of food for them. This is a type of creeping plant that can spread even more than the trumpet creeper that was mentioned earlier.
It’s going to be able to produce so many scarlet flowers that the hummingbirds can use for food. It can wind up being a plant that is between 10 and 20 feet tall eventually.
If you’re looking for a climbing plant, then this is a great one to consider. It’s beneficial to the local hummingbird population and it’ll get the results that you’re going for.
16 – Rhododendron
The rhododendron is a bush that you may or may not want to plant in your yard. It really is quite good for attracting hummingbirds, but it’s also something that is toxic.
This means that you’ll need to keep children and pets away from this bush for their own safety. It would be really bad if someone ate parts of the rhododendron, and the risk represented by this bush might make it an option that you wouldn’t consider for your yard.
Regardless, you should know that this is an evergreen bush that can produce stunning flowers. The flowers are great for attracting hummingbirds and you’ll be sure to get good results if it’s on your property.
All you need to remember is that it must be planted in acidic soil. It grows really well in partial shade in USDA zones 4 through 8.
Installing Bird Feeders Will Also Be a Good Idea
If you want to do the best that you can for the local hummingbird population, then it might be a good idea to install some bird feeders on your property. Hummingbirds will certainly go from flower to flower to get nectar, but they’ll also love people who have bird feeders on their properties.
When you want to use bird feeders to help attract hummingbirds, it’ll be necessary to stock them with a sugar solution that can mimic nectar. Hummingbirds will stop by the bird feeders at regular intervals and will remember that they can find food there.
Sometimes hummingbirds will even get impatient if they stop by and the bird feeder hasn’t been restocked. There are many situations where hummingbirds will try to get the attention of humans to see if they will restock the bird feeders.
They do this by hovering in the faces of humans as if to say, “please stock the bird feeder.” It’s actually a really interesting situation, and you’ll definitely have good luck with attracting hummingbirds via bird feeders.
It might be wise to have many bird feeders on your property that are a bit spaced out from each other. You don’t want the hummingbirds to fight with each other over the food.
Two hummingbirds will attack each other when there is a dispute over food. In fact, people have even seen hummingbirds stab each other with their sharp beaks while fighting over bird feeders.
Issues like this can be mitigated by spacing the bird feeders out and having multiple feeders. Just know that bird feeders work really well to attract hummingbirds.
Another thing to remember is the fact that hummingbirds are obsessed with the color red. If you want your bird feeders to stand out to hummingbirds, then you should probably ensure that they’re painted red.
Final Thoughts
There are many different flowers and plants that you can place in your garden to help attract hummingbirds. With so many choices available to you, it shouldn’t be hard to find flowers that will appeal to you.
Use this information as a guide and you’ll certainly be able to spot more hummingbirds on your property soon. It might take some time for some of these flowers to bloom, but it’ll be really nice when they do.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.