Hummingbirds are delightful garden guests, but to see them flitting around, you need to choose flowers for hummingbirds that meet their specific needs. These tiny birds love tubular blooms and bold colors, so picking flowers hummingbirds like is the best way to signal a nectar-rich spot. By selecting the right flowers to attract hummingbirds, you can easily create a vibrant sanctuary.
When researching hummingbird garden ideas, focus on hummingbird pollinated plants that bloom from spring through fall. Using hummingbird friendly flowers ensures a steady buffet, while adding bushes that attract hummingbirds provides both food and necessary shelter. Mixing various best hummingbird flowers turns your yard into a lively, colorful destination these birds will make a regular stop.
1) Bee Balm
Bee balm (Monarda) is a classic if you’re aiming for hummingbirds. This North American native puts out tubular blooms in punchy reds, pinks, purples, and even white – colors hummingbirds can’t seem to resist.
Depending on the variety, bee balm can get anywhere from 2 to 5 feet tall. It’s pretty forgiving about sun and shade, and if you’re anywhere in zones 3 through 9, you’re in luck.
2) Trumpet Vine
Trumpet vine is a hummingbird magnet with its bold orange and red tubular flowers. The blooms are long and narrow, just right for a hummingbird’s beak and tongue.
Plant trumpet vine near a fence or trellis, maybe somewhere you can actually watch the birds come and go. This vine can get wild, so you’ll want to give it a trim in spring or fall to keep it from taking over. Attracts pollinators all season long, too!
3) Cardinal Flower
Cardinal flower is all about those vibrant red, nectar-packed blooms, which hummingbirds can’t stay away from. Ruby-throated hummingbirds especially seem to love this native perennial.
It does best in moist soil and partial sun. Try planting cardinal flowers in clusters and you’ll have hummingbirds zipping over all summer. The flower shape is just right for their beaks.
4) Salvia
Salvias are kind of a no-brainer for hummingbirds. Their tubular flowers are made for long beaks and tongues, and they come in red, pink, orange, and blue; prime hummingbird territory.
There’s a huge range to pick from, including natives that handle heat and drought without fuss. Some salvias bloom until frost, so plant a few types for a steady nectar supply.
5) Fuchsia
Fuchsias look almost like they were designed with hummingbirds in mind. The flowers hang down, trumpet-shaped and brightly colored, making them perfect feeding stations.
They’re great in containers or garden beds through the summer. If you’re looking for a variety, ‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’ with its coral-pink blooms is a favorite. Grow fuchsias if you want to see more hummingbirds around.
6) Butterfly Bush
Butterfly Bush (Buddleja) isn’t just for butterflies, hummingbirds love it, too! The flowers grow in long, colorful spikes and come in purple, pink, white, and yellow.
It likes full sun and well-drained soil. Give it a good cutback in early spring and you’ll get more flowers. This fast-growing shrub keeps blooming from mid-summer into fall, so there’s always something for hummingbirds to snack on.
7) Penstemon
Penstemon, or beardtongue, puts up tall spikes of tubular flowers that hummingbirds go for every time. The blooms come in lots of colors and are shaped just right for hummingbird beaks, not so much for insects.
It’s a native perennial that doesn’t need much fuss once it’s established. With over 200 species, you’ll find one that works for your zone. Minimal maintenance and lots of blooms; what’s not to like?
8) Coral Honeysuckle
Coral honeysuckle is a native vine with showy, tubular flowers in red, coral, orange, or yellow. Hummingbirds can reach the nectar easily with their long beaks.
It grows anywhere from 3 to 20 feet, so it’s pretty flexible. Works well in USDA zones 4 to 9 and can handle partially shaded areas where other flowers might not do so hot.
9) Lantana
Lantana is all about those bright clusters of tubular flowers in colors of red, yellow, orange, pink, and white. Hummingbirds are all over it.
These plants can take the heat and don’t mind dry spells. With more than 150 species, you’ve got options for just about any spot. Lantana keeps hummingbirds coming back all summer.
10) Zinnia
Zinnias are a solid pick if you want more hummingbirds around. The colors pop, and the blooms have that tubular shape hummingbirds like.
They’re tough annuals that love hot weather and are super easy to grow from seed, so you don’t have to spend a lot to get a hummingbird-friendly garden.
11) Hibiscus
Hibiscus is another winner for hummingbirds. Those big, trumpet-shaped blooms are loaded with nectar, and the colors are just as bold as the birds themselves.
You can pick from tropical, woody, or native perennial types, depending on your climate. As long as they’re in well-drained soil and get plenty of sun, all hibiscus types will bring hummingbirds in.
12) Columbine
Columbine flowers are just plain fun, and hummingbirds seem to agree. The unique, tubular blooms offer up plenty of nectar in colors like red, yellow, blue, and pink.
The red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) is especially good if you want a native option. These perennials bloom in early summer and the drooping, spurred flowers are basically made for hummingbird bills.
13) Red Hot Poker
Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia) puts up tall spikes that look almost like torches: shades of red, orange, yellow, and white. Hummingbirds love the abundant nectar.
Plant them in sunny spots with good drainage. They’ll also draw in butterflies, bees, and orioles, plus they make great focal points in the garden.
14) Heuchera
Heuchera, or coral bells, isn’t just about the fancy foliage. In early to mid-summer, it sends up delicate flower stalks with tiny bell-shaped blooms that hummingbirds can’t resist.
The flowers are small, but they do the trick. Heuchera is happy in USDA zones 4 to 9 and can handle partial sun to full shade, so it’s a versatile choice if your garden isn’t in full sun.
15) Marigold
Honestly, marigolds aren’t top of the list for hummingbirds. Sure, they’re bright and cheerful, but they don’t have the tubular shape or much nectar.
The nectar’s just not there compared to other flowers hummingbirds love. If you’re set on marigolds, try mixing them with more hummingbird-friendly blooms to offer better feeding options.
16) Cuphea
Cuphea is a bit of an under-the-radar choice, but hummingbirds seem to love the small tubular flowers, which keep coming from spring through fall.
This plant thrives in heat and sun. Look for varieties like cigar plant or bat-faced cuphe, as they’re compact, colorful, and easy to grow as a perennial in warm zones or as an annual elsewhere.
17) Jewelweed
Jewelweed puts out orange, nectar-loaded flowers that are just right for hummingbird feeding. It’s a native annual (Impatiens capensis) and blooms in late summer; perfect timing when other nectar sources are running low.
The nectar is crazy sweet, with about 43% sugar, so hummingbirds hit these flowers again and again. Jewelweed does well in shaded areas and also brings in bumblebees and other good bugs.
18) Sage
Sage isn’t just for the kitchen. The tubular flowers are a hummingbird favorite, and the plant keeps pumping out nectar-rich blooms.
It’s a tough perennial that doesn’t ask for much once it’s settled in. Sage flowers come in purple, red, and pink, so you get color and hummingbird action all season.
19) Canna Lily
Canna lilies are hard to miss, with their big, tropical blooms in red, orange, yellow, and pink. Hummingbirds are drawn especially to the red ones.
They’re easy to care for and love sunny spots. The tall plants add drama to your garden, and their flowers are loaded with nectar, so you’ll see plenty of hummingbirds while they’re blooming. Canna lilies really deliver if you want a showy, hummingbird-friendly choice.
20) Tithonia
Tithonia, commonly known as Mexican sunflower, bursts with these bold orange and red flowers that hummingbirds absolutely love. These annuals can get pretty tall, sometimes shooting up to six feet, so they’re perfect for the back row of your garden.
The big, nectar-packed blooms stick around from summer right into fall, which is handy for hummingbirds gearing up for migration. Tithonia really likes full sun, and once it gets going, it doesn’t mind a little drought.
