Plants list for Hummingbirds

This is a list of plants we grow in our yard that attract hummingbirds. These are all native to the region and most are also very attractive garden specimens otherwise.

Vines

Campsis radicans Trumpet Creeper Vine

Lonicera sempervirens  Coral honeysuckle ( we have mostly the straight species, and two specimens of the cultivar ‘major wheeler’ which produces vast amounts of flowers)

Herbaceous Perennials

Lobelia cardinalis, Cardinal Flower or Red Lobelia

Monarda didyma, Bee Balm

Monarda fistulosa , Wild Bergamot

Phlox Paniculata, Summer Phlox

Aquilegia canadensis, Columbine

herbaceous annuals

Impatiens capensis Orange Jewelweed

Impatiens pallida yellow Jewelweed

(these two are not recommended for garden use if you have a small garden. If you have a vast place, especially with a stream or pond running through it, the Jewelweeds would make an excellent addition to your wildlife habitat.)

These plants could also be categorized by their value as hummingbird attractors based on when they flower and for how long.

The most valuable is the Lonicera Sempervirens for its length of blooming, which is all of the warm season. Columbine is an important early season provider of nectar and Lobelia is a great mid to end of Summer provider. If you have a large wall to cover where nothing else will grow, Campsis radicans vine is appropriate, but the blooming is not as long as the Lonicera. Bee Balm is good for mid-summer.

It is highly recommended to plant all or any of these if you have the space and you are in the appropriate geographic region for them. For example in France the Campsis radicans vine is very popular and well established, but there are no Hummingbirds in France, so perhaps a vine more appropriate and relevant for the habitat needs of bird species in Europe would be a better choice.

 

 

 

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