Planting hummingbird flowers is a great place to start, if you are planning on creating a hummingbird habitat. If you are having trouble attracting hummers to your feeders a hummingbird garden may be just what you need.
Many hummingbirds will never adapt to feeding from the hummingbird feeders we provide, but all hummers eat the nectar from flowers. Learn more about bird feeders here. You don't need a lot of space to create a hummingbird garden. In fact, you can attract hummers with hummingbird plants in hanging baskets or patio planters. No matter what your situation, with a little planning you can create a habitat for attracting hummingbirds.
You don't need a lot of gardening experience to create a hummingbird garden. You'll be happy to know that there are hundreds of plants that will attract hummers, many of which are hardy and easy to maintain. First you need to find out which hummingbirds are found in your area and which hummingbird flowers they are attracted to. A local bird club or garden club is a good place to find this information.
Coral bells are low, mound shaped plants growing to about 12-18 inches.
Flowering occurs in late spring to early summer with flowers rising to about 24 inches.
The flowers are an airy cluster of red, bell-like hummingbird flowers. Perennial, zone: 4-9.
Bee Balm has showy red flowers in large heads or whorls of about 20-50 flowers at the top of the branching stem, supported by leafy bracts, the leaflets are a pale-green color. The stem of Bee Balm is square, grooved and hard; and about 3 feet high. Bee Balm is easily grown in ordinary garden soil. It also grows well in heavy clay soils, requires a part shade to sunny place to grow. Perennial, zone: 3-9.
Foxglove is a biennial plant with soft, hairy, toothed, ovate and lance-shaped leaves in a basal rosette. The life span of the plant is 2 seasons. The first year growth remains in a basal rosette of leaves. Second year growth produces flowering stems, 3 -6 feet in height. Flower spikes have purple to white spotted thimble-like flowers which hang down and last about six days. Foxglove is a source of digitalis prescribed by doctors to strengthen the heart and regulate its beat. Extremely poisonous! Enjoy, but do not eat! Perennial, zone: 4-9.
Scarlet sage is a perennial in warmer climates and an annual where winter temperatures stay below freezing for more than a few hours at a time. Scarlet sage reaches 2-3 ft tall, with 1-2 in triangular leaves on long petioles (leaf stems) opposite each other on a square stem.
The showy flowers are bright red, about an inch long, and arranged in loose whorls along the upright stem. Blooms appear continuously from early summer to first frost. Annual.
Old fashion bleeding heart blooms from late spring to early summer. This perennial prefers partial shade and adequate moisture during the summer period and grows to about 2-3 feet. If well watered, the foliage remains attractive well into the fall. Perennial, zone: 2-9.
Cardinal Flower's brilliant fiery red flowers on dense spikes grow up to 4 feet tall to make this one of the showiest wildflowers. The tubular cardinal red flowers last 4 to 6 weeks and is a favorite with hummingbirds and Sulphur butterflies. Lobelia cardinalis is best planted in rich moist soil in full sun to light shade in a formal perennial bed, moist meadow, water garden, or as a container plant for a patio. Perennial, zone: 2-10.
Red Columbine is a charming plant with attractive foliage and showy flowers that appeal to hummingbirds and butterflies. This plant grows up to 3 feet tall harboring blue-green leaves growing at the plants base and along the stems. The unique shape and color of Red Columbine flowers are created by 5 petals hanging from a stem in a bell-like fashion. To provide elegant contrast, 5 leaf-like yellow sepals are appended to the red petals. Plant Eastern columbine in average, well drained soil in full sun to medium shade in a hummingbird or butterfly garden. This plant is easy to start from seed. Perennial, zone: 2-9.
Many of us will put out hummingbird feeders only to be disappointed by only a few visiting birds. Consider planting hummingbird flowers, if this has happened to you. Besides attracting more hummers, a hummingbird garden will give you the opportunity to observe hummingbirds in a more natural habitat.
Click here for some fun facts about the hummingbird that you might not know.
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