Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds

Want to attract hummingbirds to your garden? Consider planting some of these bright blossoming beauties

Sustainable Gardening – Pollinator Plants

“Like the hummingbird sipping nectar from every flower, we should strive to fly joyfully through all of our days days, seeing beauty in everything.”

Amethyst Wyldfyre, Speaker and Spiritual Leader

Is there anything more magical than espying a hummingbird, seemingly suspended in midair, dip its long beak into a flower? Sometimes you’ll hear these tiny birds before you see them, their wings making a distinctive whirring sound. When two or more appear together, you may hear the sharp “chattering” as they swoop and dive in a series of aggressive, aerial maneuvers. It’s no wonder that gardeners love to encourage these remarkable acrobats into their gardens. According to The International Hummingbird Association, their primary nutrition comes from nectar from flowers, supplemented by a few sources of protein, such as tiny spiders and other insects.

These jewel-feathered whirling dervishes eat half their body weight in bugs and nectar each day, according to the National Audubon Society. That’s the equivalent of visiting more than 1,000 flowers.

What flowers do hummingbirds like?

Brightly-colored flowers that are tubular tend to produce the most nectar, and are particularly attractive to hummingbirds. Though they’re partial to red, hummingbirds aren’t dismissive of other colors. These include perennials such as bee balms, columbines, biennials such as foxgloves and hollyhocks; and many annuals, including cleomes, impatiens, and petunias, but are frequently seen visiting other flowers with bright colors that are orange, yellow, purple, or even blue, giving you plenty to choose from.

A favorite of butterflies and hummingbirds alike, lantana offers colorful red, yellow, orange, pink, lavender, or white flowers. These heat-loving, drought-resistant plants will fit well in sunny spots in your garden

LANTANA

The blooms are a favorite nectar source for hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other insects. Plant Cleome in your garden to enjoy the colorful blooms and attract visitors to your yard this year!

CLEOME

hibiscus is a favorite of hummingbirds in part due to its fantastic color. Vibrant colors draw hummingbirds, so Hibiscus is a good choice for a hummingbird garden.

HIBISCUS

Hummingbirds love the nectar of Salvias, particularly varieties in red, which they can see but bees can't.

SALVIA

Fuchsias are hummingbird favorites with dangling flowers in many rosy colors.

FUSCHIA

This pretty perennial will provide interest in your garden for most of the growing season, and attract nectar-eating birds and bugs while it blooms. The variety of colors, including pink, purple, red, and blue, makes it attractive to hummingbirds and pleasing in any style of garden

COLUMBINE

Also known as cherry pie plant for the sweet cherry-like scent, the heliotrope flower is attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and other insect pollinators.

HELIOTROPE

Petunias attract hummingbirds and provide them with a good source of nectar which gives them energy through the day. You can grow your own petunias in your yard or even in hanging baskets. Plant the petunias in the spring and you can watch the hummingbirds enjoy them as they fly north for breeding season.

PETUNIA

Bee Balm for hummingbirds is available in many varieties and colors. The Scarlet Bee Balm is most preferred by hummingbirds. The spiky red and scarlet clusters beautify our gardens and the hummingbirds certainly enjoy them.

BEE BALM

Hummingbirds’ wings are long and narrow. A hummingbird’s wings can move 10-15 times per second. Due to their continuous humming like the buzzing of a bee the two are often associated with people who are talkative in nature. A hummingbird can take around 250 breaths per minute when resting. Their average lifespan is from three to five years. On average, a hummingbird eats half its weight in nectar and insects each day to prevent it starving.

They’ll feed at any plant with nectar to offer. Hummingbirds have forked tongues with hair-like fibers called lamellae. When the tongue dips into the nectar, it automatically separates. The forked tongue and lamellae automatically zip closed as the tongue pulls back, pulling nectar back into the beak with it. Rather than sucking the nectar, their tongue is essentially, grabbing and trapping nectar, carrying it into their mouths. As their tongue flicks back out for another mouthful, the action pushes the nectar toward their throat, kind of like a pump.

Hummingbirds have forked tongues with hair-like fibers called lamellae. When the tongue dips into the nectar, it automatically separates. The forked tongue and lamellae automatically zip closed as the tongue pulls back, pulling nectar back into the beak with it. Rather than sucking the nectar, their tongue is essentially, grabbing and trapping nectar, carrying it into their mouths.

Hummingbirds are the smallest of birds and may look different compared to other species. Their needle-like bill is the most unique trait they possess apart from the humming sound they are well known for.

Plants also serve as a reliable protein source. Hummingbirds eat pollen and snatch insects from plant leaves and spiderwebs to get the protein they need for growing feathers. Native plants support a greater concentration of insects and spiders available as prey for hummingbirds, so avoid the use of pesticides.

Bergen County’s Best Kept Gardening Secret

Goffle Brook Farms – Garden Center/Farmer’s Market

423 Goffle Road Ridgewood,NJ 07450
(201) 652-7540