Best Flowers to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Yard

Finding the best location for hummingbirds begins with a delicate balance of shade and sunlight. Many of the flowers that attract hummingbirds need abundant sunlight. However, shade from tree branches and porch eaves shelters hummingbirds from predators and afternoon sun. Morning sun and dappled afternoon sun are optimal.

Hummingbirds are territorial and prefer feeding away from areas with a lot of bird activity. It’s also important to choose an area with minimal noise and away from heavy foot traffic. For your viewing pleasure, choose a place that’s visible from a window so that you can watch hummingbird activity.

There are a few other ways to create a pollinator or hummingbird-friendly environment:

• Trees are an important part of a hummingbird habitat. They provide branches for perching and nesting, protection from predators and a source for the insects that hummers eat.
• Avoid using herbicides or pesticides to create the optimal pollinator-friendly habitat.
• Include more than one hummingbird feeder in your yard.
• Get your neighbors in on the fun and create a pollinator ecosystem in your neighborhood to attract even more hummingbirds.

Finally, planting flowers to attract hummingbirds can be as simple as creating a garden space in your yard. Ideas include:

Window Boxes

• Window boxes are readymade for plants that attract hummingbirds. Some clip directly to a windowsill; others must be attached with screws. The height of your window box is a consideration, since you’ll need to reach it for watering. However, don’t install one that’s too low to the ground where predators like cats, frogs and snakes can easily reach hummingbirds.

Container Gardens

• Large planters, galvanized buckets—you can make a hummingbird garden out of just about any container. Make sure the container at least 8 inches deep so that the plants have room to grow. It also needs to drain properly; you might have to drill holes in the bottom of the container. Consider adding a trellis to the container if you intend to plant climbing flowers.
  One advantage to a container garden is that you can move it around your yard or porch as desired.

Hanging Baskets

• Hanging baskets that can accommodate a variety of plants is another container option for flowers to attract hummingbirds. It doesn’t matter what the basket is made from, but it should be at least 8 inches deep and 12 inches in diameter so that you can plant the most flowers. It should also have a lip around the edge to serve as a perch.

There are several steps in choosing and prepping a hanging basket for hummingbirds:

• Select a large hanging basket at least 12 inches in diameter. The larger the basket, the more plants you can add, though it will also make the basket heavier. Plastic baskets retain moisture better in the summer. Wire baskets lined with coconut or moss are more decorative.
• Install a hook and extender chain, then hang the basket to ensure that it’s low enough for watering and maintenance. Remember that a place with morning sun and afternoon shade works best for flowers that attract hummingbirds.
• Fill your hanging basket with moisture-retentive starter soil to within two inches of the rim. Use compost to enrich the soil if needed.
• After consulting the list of the best flowers for hummingbirds (below), choose the types of flowers you want to include in your hanging basket.

Hummingbirds are drawn to brightly-colored flowers that are tubular-shaped and filled with nectar. The types of flowers that you choose to grow depend on your climate zone. Native plants also tend to provide more nectar than hybrids and exotic flowers.

Following is a list of both perennials and annuals that attract hummingbirds, many of which thrive in several climate zones.

Bee Balm is easy to grow and has a pleasant smell. It comes in several varieties and colors. It tends to bush, so it could easily fill your hanging basket by itself. Bee balm grows best in full sun but can tolerate afternoon shade.

Bleeding Heartsprefer regular watering and full-to-partial sunlight. Its heart-shaped flowers are purple, white, pink or red. The plant has low-mounded growth with flowers at the end of spikes.

Butterfly Bushis also a suitable choice for hummingbirds. It produces fragrant purple flowers rich with sweet nectar.

Cleomes grow tall and leggy so it’s best for the center of a hanging basket or container. It does especially well in dry heat or humid conditions and will bloom all summer.

Coral bells bloom only once each season in late spring or early summer. This flower grows in full sun to partial shade. While the foliage is mounded, the flowers are located at the end of long offshoots that will drape gracefully from your hanging basket.

Columbine doesn’t have the classic tubular shape, but it blooms early. Columbine comes in several colors, but one variety features a bright red flower. It is easy to grow and can thrive in shade.

Hibiscus features huge blooms that grow profusely throughout summer. This plant is zoned for warmer climates and requires full sun.

Honeysuckle grows in full-to-partial shade and blooms continuously throughout the summer. It has a sweet nectar and can climb walls and trellises.

Impatiens are annuals that withstand shade or partial sun and bloom profusely. Many colors are available, including the hummingbird’s favorite, bright red. Impatiens should remain moist; too much water and these flowers will become leggy.

Petunias are inexpensive and come in an assortment of colors, sometimes even on the same plant. Petunias are ideal as a border plant in your hanging basket.

Phlox is easy to grow and flowers profusely all summer. Phlox grows best in full to partial sun and is available in many colors. It also has a pleasant smell. It blooms earlier in the year in warmer climates.

Salvia is nectar-rich and therefore a favorite of hummingbirds. Plant salvia in the center of your basket since it grows tall. Salvia thrives in full sunlight and well-drained soil. Pineapple sage is a salvia and an excellent summer hummingbird plant.

Don't forget that you can also grow plants to attract hummingbirds from seed. Nasturtiums, zinnias, asclepias tuberose (butterfly weed) and agastache (hyssop) seeds are low cost and easy to grow.

Once you’ve prepped your basket and chosen your flowers, it’s time to think about design. Hummingbirds love color, especially red, so you’ll want to add as many red flowers to your basket as possible. You can throw flowers of all colors and sizes into the basket to create an explosion of color, or you can limit your basket to flowers in complementary colors such as red and yellow or blue and orange.

How you arrange the plants in your basket is another factor in making the basket look pretty. For example, flowers that grow tall should be planted in the center of the hanging basket. Plants that will drape over the sides of the basket do best as a border for your hanging basket.

Finally, complete your hanging basket by adding these plants:

• Plant flowers as directed, covering root mounds and leaving a 2-inch space between each for growth and air circulation, which helps prevent disease. Press the dirt into place and hang the basket.
• Water your hanging basket. If you water before you hang, it could be too heavy for you to hang.
• Maintain your hanging basket by pinching off leggy stems and dead flowers, adding additional moss and coconut fiber as needed and keeping soil wet to the touch. Rotate your basket weekly for balanced growth.