Flowers Hummingbirds Love

Hummingbirds are one of the best parts of spring and summer. To see those tiny birds hovering in the air is a fascinating sight. And while you can certainly draw them to your yard and garden with hummingbird feeders, there are also flowers you can grow to encourage these tiny visitors. Find out what flowers hummingbirds love!

Why Attract Hummingbirds?

Hummingbirds and a fantastic bird to watch above all else. Their rapidly beating wings are fascinating, and if you happen to have frequent visitors, then watching them is simply pure joy. These tiny birds are more than just visually beautiful, they can actually provide a valuable service while flitting about your yard and garden.

Hummingbirds, due to their long and narrow beaks, can actually pollinate flowers that may be difficult for other insects. They can also feed on other insects, not just the nectar from your flowers. For a full run down on the fascinating life of hummingbirds, check out this article from The Smithsonian all about hummingbirds!

Blooms for hummingbirds

While you can certainly provide a feeder or two for hummingbirds (with my homemade 2-ingredient hummingbird food), giving your birds a variety of blooms is good for your yard and the hummingbirds! Here are some hummingbird favorites that can bring these tiny flyers flocking to your yard:

1. Bee Balm (Monarda)

Tall growing and fragrant, this perennial flower is a member of the mint family, and irresistible to hummingbirds. Bee balm blooms from mid-summer until fall and grows best in moist soil. Bee Balm comes in a variety of bloom colors that will work in any garden color scheme. Check out the varieties Eden Brother’s offers.

Monarda (bee balm, horsemint, oswego tea, bergamot) in full bloom

2. Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

This perennial flower prefers moist soil and full sun. This hummingbird attractor will reach a mature height of 5-feet. Cardinal flowers will bloom throughout the summer and comes in bloom shades of red, pink, and white. Find seeds here.

Immature Ruby-throated Hummingbird (archilochus colubris) in flight with red Cardinal flowers and a blue sky background

3. Coral Bells (Heuchera americana L)

Coral Bells need partial shade and rich soil to perform their best. This perennial flower has colorful foliage and produces tall (12-inches), long-lasting wands of tiny flowers that hummingbirds dart in and out of to sample the nectar. Find coral bell plants for your yard here.

Heuchera (coral bells) flowers pollinated by bee.

4. Evening Primrose (Oenothera)

This is a good perennial flower choice for poor and/or dry soil conditions. Evening Primrose produces fragrant yellow or pink flowers in the evening that attract a bevy of hummingbirds. Eden Brothers has a wonderful selection of primrose seeds.

5. Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

Hyssop is a garden favorite for both hummingbirds and bees, producing a bushy plant loaded with blue-violet flower stalks in mid-summer. Hyssop is perfect for filling in gaps, reaching a mature height and width of 3 feet. Add some to your garden or yard and enjoy the beautiful vibrant blue hues!

Hyssop flower branch (Hyssopus officinalis)

6. Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia uvaria)

Red Hot Poker makes a dramatic statement as a backdrop in a hummingbird flower garden. This perennial flower reaches a mature height of 4-feet and produces bright colored plumes in shades of red, orange, yellow, and bi-colors. It truly resembles a beautiful flame! Grab seeds for red hot pokers here.

Flower of a torch lily (Kniphofia uvaria)

7. Salvia (Salvia officinalis)

Salvia comes in both the annual and perennial varieties. The easy-care perennial variety of salvia comes in a wide range of mature heights (1-5 feet) and produces bloom colors in shades of deep reds and purples. True Leaf Market has a wonderful variety of salvia seeds for the home garden.

8. Verbena (V. officinalis)

This perennial flower will produce red, pink, purple, or white flowers and attract hummingbirds all summer when planted in moist soil. Verbena hates dry soil conditions and will stop blooming during periods of drought unless the plant is kept watered. Find them at True Leaf Market.

Planting the right flower combinations will provide an all-you-can-eat buffet for hummingbirds that will keep them buzzing around all summer. And it’s a very simple gardening task; plant nectar-filled flowers that hummingbirds can’t resist, then sit back and watch the show.

Have more suggestions for hummingbird favorites? Let me know in the comments below! Have a great week and happy gardening!