Hummingbirds are rather magical in a garden, and it is a summer delight to see them zoom from one flower to the next. It is hard to think of any reason not to like hummingbirds. With wings flapping at sometimes 50+ times per second, they can hover like a helicopter and can quickly go straight up or down and sideways, with speeds of 20-30 miles per hour.
They are important pollinators and some plants have flowers that have evolved to attract them. Their natural food source is to gather nectar from flowers and eat a wide variety of small insects. Hummingbirds are attracted to flowers with tubular shapes and especially those flowers with bright colors like red, orange, and pink. Fuchsias have long been the ‘standard’ flower for attracting hummingbirds because all the boxes can be checked, tubular flowers, bright colors, and prolific blooms.
Gardening in the Pacific Northwest for many years, I’ve learned a great deal about which plants in my garden are the hummingbird magnets. While many references refer to the bright red and orange tubular flowers as attractants, and this is true, there are also many other flower colors that will attractant these tiny birds.
The first year that I planted Salvia grananitica ‘Black and Blue’, which has deep blue flowers and black calyxes, I was amazed at the number of hummingbirds that visited the flowers. Hummingbirds tend to be very territorial, and it was a very enjoyable evening to sit on the deck and watch the action on this Salvia. A very similar Salvia is one called ‘Amistad’ which has purple flowers. There is a large pot of each on our deck and it is difficult to tell if hummingbirds prefer one over the other. Even though both Salvias are technically a perennial, I have found it best to consider them as annuals and if they survive through the winter, then that’s a bonus. In relatively mild winters, I have had them survive but, even so, the plants tend to bloom late and I have purchased new plants that are in bud or bloom, and plant them alongside those that survived the winter.
Another prolific summer bloomer that garden centers refer to as a hummingbird magnet is Cuphea micropetala. With spikelike stems and clusters of bright red flowers tipped with yellow this is a hummingbird delight. Cuphea makes an excellent deck or patio plant for a sunny location because it will bloom all summer.
Kniphofia, (Red-Hot Poker, Torch Lily) is a perennial that will usually survive our winters here if they have well drained soil. Initially the plants had flowering stems that looked like glowing pokers or torches, hence their common name. The tubular flowers are packed in tight clusters and open from bottom to top. Initially the flowers were golden yellow with the top a bright orange. However today with many new cultivars, the color range is broad with peach, many shades of orange and yellow, and an almost white. With grass-like foliage, these are probably best planted in the ground. Hummingbirds love this plant.
Petunias are not usually noted as attracting hummingbirds, but today on my deck, there was hummingbird activity around a white petunia basket. Some other plants to consider are lantana, agastache, monarda, and honeysuckle. Our early blooming, and native, Oregon Grape, is a major source of hummingbird food in the winter months,
For many container plants, the potting mix will often settle and leave room for a light top dressing, Black Gold Natural & Organic Cocoblend Potting Mix can be a benefit to help with moisture retention and keeping your containers looking their best. The list of plants mentioned here is nowhere near complete and is just a listing of some plants that I always have in my summer garden that provide color and as a bonus they also attract hummingbirds. It is important to always have a source of water available. Do some experimenting yourself with an assortment of plants that may attract these very beneficial tiny birds into your garden.
