Which Flowers Attract Hummingbirds? (2024)

Calling all hummingbird lovers! Discover the top hummingbird-attracting flowers, from perennials like bee balm to annuals like petunias. Check out our extensive list of hummingbird favorites with their nectar-rich, colorful flowers. See which kinds of flowers hummingbirds like—and will keep these tiny pollinators coming back to yourgarden!

The Best HummingbirdFlowers

For centuries, gardeners have been fascinated with hummingbirds’ beauty and aerobatics. These flying jewels are also mighty pollinators, bringing forth more flowers and food. Having hummers in your garden is a win-win.

To give a hummingbird food, give these tiny birds something sweet to eat! Brightly-colored flowers that are tubular tend to produce the most nectar.

These include perennials such as bee balms, columbines, daylilies, and lupines; biennials such as foxgloves and hollyhocks; and many annuals, including cleomes, impatiens, and petunias.

Here’s a list of flowering plants that attract hummingbirds. Choose varieties in red and orangeshades.

Hummingbird GardenIdeas

Hummingbirds also need a habitat that will give them food, water, shelter, and security. Here’s what attractshummingbirds:

• Provide lots of space between plants to give hummingbirds enough room to hover and navigate from flower toflower.
• Hummingbirds need shade. Herbs, flowering shrubs, dwarf trees, and vines can all be used to create an ideal tiered habitat from ground level to 10 feet ormore.
• Hummingbirds love water, especially if it’s moving. A gentle, continuous spray from a nozzle or a sprinkler hose is perfect for a bath on thefly.
• Hummingbirds do not have a keen sense of smell and rely on bright colors to find their food.They are particularly fond of red and are often observed investigating feeders with red parts, red plant labels, red thermometers, and even red clothes on agardener.

Note: Do not use red dye in a hummingbird feeder; there is concern that it may harm the birds. Instead, use plain, clear sugar water (1 part white sugar mixed with 4 parts water). The birds love it! If your feeder does not have red on it, attach a red label or other item to attract them. Learn how to make hummingbirdnectar.

→ Find more tips for introducing hummingbirds to your garden here!

An often-asked question is, “Why do hummingbirds hum?” We can’t say for certain, but we suspect that it might be because they don’t know the words! All jokes aside, the real answer is that hummingbirds are capable of beating their wings up to 80 beats per second, producing a buzz audible to humanears.

Fun Facts AboutHummingbirds

Hummingbirds are one of the most interesting birds! Here are some fun facts about these littlebirds:

• Bee hummingbirds are the tiniest of all birds, weighing less than an ounce and measuring only 2 incheslong.
• Their brightly-colored, iridescent feathers and quick movements make them appear to be living sun catchers—hence one nickname, “flyingjewels.”
• Hummingbirdshave the unique ability to fly in any direction, even backward, with their wings beating up to a blurring 80 beats persecond.
• They can hover in mid-air when sipping nectar from brightly–colored flowers with their long, slenderbeaks.
• While whizzing about the garden, hummingbirds expend so much energy that they must eat at least halftheir body weight each day to replace thecalories that theyburn up. This means eating almost constantly—from sunrise to sunset—and visiting over a thousand flowers everyday.
• You can hear the call of a ruby-throated hummingbird here.

→Learn more about hummingbirds here.

Learn More AboutHummingbirds

• Many of the plants that attract hummingbirds also attract butterflies. Learn more about attracting butterflies to your garden.

Do you have hummingbirds or other birds in your garden? Let us know in the commentsbelow!