Hummingbirds Can't Resist These Expert-Recommended Types of Flowers

Find out the right types of flowers are for attracting the most hummingbirds to your yard, according to a wildlife expert.

Hummingbird at a red flower
Credit:

Carson Downing

Hummingbirds are miniature marvels, combining dazzling iridescent color with lightning-fast wings and gravity-defying flight. As symbols of hope and joy, it’s no wonder we want to bring hummers closer to home. But what flowers do hummingbirds love the most?

We asked a wildlife expert to explain the specific flower characteristics these birds can't resist. Find out the preferred flower colors and shapes to include in your garden, plus, get tips on helping these tiny birds feel at home in your yard and a list of their favorite flowering plants.

Mary Phillips is head of the National Wildlife Federation's Garden for Wildlife and Certified Wildlife Habitat programs.

Food: Nectar and Insects

If you want to attract local wildlife of any kind, including hummingbirds, it starts with native plants. These are the plants that have evolved alongside local species and meet their needs best. Mary Phillips, head of the National Wildlife Federation's Garden for Wildlife and Certified Wildlife Habitat program, encourages gardeners to choose a broad palette of native plants. In a yard filled with natives, she explains, hummingbirds find the full nutritional requirements they need.

People often think nectar is all hummingbirds need, but that’s not the case. “The biggest misconception,” says Phillips, “is that hummingbirds only need nectar. 80% of their nutrition is dependent upon insects. An adult female can consume up to 2,000 insects per day. These include aphids, mosquitoes, gnats, fruit flies, spiders, caterpillars, and insect eggs.”

So, when you plant nectar-rich natives, an even greater benefit is that you’re also feeding the local insects, many of which are crucial protein sources for hummingbirds and their young. More insects mean more birds, creating a ripple effect of biodiversity in your yard.

Mary Phillips, National Wildlife Federation

A garden habitat with a minimum of 70% native plants and three-season bloom supports hummingbirds and other pollinators and birds.

— Mary Phillips, National Wildlife Federation
Red cardinal flower
Credit:

Bob Stefko

Flower Colors: Mostly Red

Hummingbirds love red flowers the best; they do have an instinctive preference for them, possibly due to retinal adaptations that mute colors on the cool side of the color wheel. 

“Unlike insect pollinators that rely on scent to find nectar and pollen, hummingbirds rely on their vision to discover brightly colored, nectar-rich sources,” says Phillips. "In many cases, flowers that have evolved alongside hummingbird pollinators are red. This is because birds are visually sensitive to red hues, while many competing pollinators, like bees, can’t see red."

But red isn’t the only option. “Science is evolving in this space that notes hummingbirds rely on a variety of colors,” Phillips explains. “It is shape and access to nectar that is key. For now, we do recommend that including red flowers is good to attract hummingbirds, because these flowers tend to have less competition from other pollinators that don't see red as well. This doesn’t mean they won’t also visit flowers of other colors.”

Flower Shapes: Tubular Reigns

While hummingbirds will happily enjoy nectar from flowers in various shapes, especially on a long migration, tubular flowers are a particular favorite. These long, narrow flowers match the shape of the birds’ slender beaks and extendable tongues. Hummingbirds have access to the nectar hidden deep inside that is often out of reach for bees and butterflies. This gives them a competitive edge and helps ensure that pollen is transferred as they feed, making them especially effective pollinators for these types of plants. 

Phillips recommends laying out an array of tubular blossoms at varied heights, like a multi-course feast, to support hummingbirds and keep the garden teeming with life. Common native single-trumpet flower shapes include trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) and penstemon (Penstemon spp.). However, there is also a good number of various-shaped flowers whose individual florets are tubular, such as bee balm (Monarda spp.).

“Any tubular, nectar-rich source works well, like purple or pink bee balms, along with red perennial flowers and vines. The shape of tubular flowers is ideal to transmit pollen to the foreheads of these long-billed birds as they drink nectar from deep within the bloom,” Phillips says.

mondarda bee balm with red flowers
Credit: Peter Krumhardt

Flowers to Create a Hummingbird Buffet

Here are a handful of native hummingbird attractors that will boost biodiversity in your yard.

Perennials 

  • Scarlet sage (Salvia coccinea) has an abundance of vivid red flowers that dance on wiry stems all summer. A popular cultivar is ‘Lady in Red’. Zones 8-11
  • Eastern columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), also known as Canadian columbine, is a native wildflower with red-yellow blossoms. Zones 3-8
  • Lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis) has brilliant, showy red blooms that appear in late summer and last until fall. Zones 4-9
  • Bee balm (Monarda fistulosa) is native to is native to much of North America and adaptable to many conditions. Zones 3-9
  • Pink beardtongue (Penstemon australis) is a short-lived perennial with delicate pink bells. Zones 3-9

Shrubs

  • Manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.) comprises a wide range of groundcovers, trees, and shrubs native to the West Coast. Zones 8-10
  • California fuchsia (Zauschneria californica) are ground-hugging, drought-tolerant subshrubs with red fuchsia-like trumpets that attract Anna’s hummingbirds in Western regions. Zones 8-11

Vines

Flowering vines are a great way to attract hummingbirds because they require little space.

  • Cross vine (Bignonia capreolata) is a vigorous evergreen whose flowers may be red with a yellow center or reversed. Zones 6-9
  • Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) is a bold climber with textured foliage and traffic-stopping orange-red blooms. Zones 5-9
  • Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) has flamboyant gold/yellow, orange, or red-burgundy flowers over a long period in spring and summer. Zones 4-9

Rather than dotting about single specimens, or bus stations, plant a hummingbird highway. Create drifts of each plant variety for a flight path hummingbirds can’t miss.

Don’t Forget Water and Cover

In addition to planting a variety of hummingbird favorites, make sure to include a source of water. “Hummingbirds need to bathe frequently and are attracted to running and moving water. Bubblers, fountains, and bird baths work well,” Phillips says. 

She also recommends providing safe sheltering spots. "Hummingbirds and the insects they need to feed on benefit from cover like wooded areas, dense shrubs or grasses, evergreens, brush, logs, and vines.” 

Hummingbirds may build their palm-size nests at any level, so be careful using pruners in spring and summer when hummingbirds are nesting. During hummingbird season, branches may be hiding tiny, camouflaged nests, cautions Phillips.

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