Which Plants Attract Hummingbirds?

It’s no secret that hummingbirds can work wonders to pollinate the plants in your garden. These small, fast birds only serve to get rid of pests and make your plants grow to their full potential. So, which plants attract hummingbirds?

The best plants that attract hummingbirds are bee palm, red buckeye, beardtongue, columbine, and jewelweed. Aromatic plants with colorful flowers, such as phlox, cuphea, blue lupine, and butterfly bush attract several pollinators. Plants that have tubular, colorful, and aromatic flowers that produce lots of nectar will draw hummingbirds and bees to your garden.

You can also put hummingbird feeders in your yard, but nectar-producing plants are the best option. Follow along as we highlight what plants attract hummingbirds.

Not only are hummingbirds small and adorable, but they are great for gardens. Much like bees and butterflies, hummingbirds are prolific pollinators. They fly throughout your garden and search for plants that produce lots of nectar and pollen.

As they fly from plant to plant, hummingbirds spread the pollen throughout your garden. This helps plants grow, and you will see quick results throughout spring and summer. Hummingbirds also eat pests and insects that can hinder your garden’s growth.

Hummingbirds love columbine, and it’s one of the easiest flowers to take care of. That’s because you can grow columbine in full sun or partial shade, and they are tolerant to droughts. The bold flowers that columbine produces make them desirable to many homeowners, and that’s also partly why hummingbirds love them so much.

Columbine plants with red or orange flowers in particular are known to be a hummingbird favorite.

Jewelweed flowers are magnetic when it comes to hummingbirds. Between the colorful flowers and the presence of pollen, jewelweed, and hummingbirds are a match made in heaven. Hummingbirds aren’t the only pollinators that love jewelweed, however, as bees and butterflies love the flowers as well.

Jewelweed can thrive whether you plant it in partial shade or full sun, and that makes it easy to take care of. Depending on how well you take care of it, jewelweed can grow to be 5 feet tall.

Experts often recommend that homeowners struggling to pollinate their garden plant cuphea. That’s because cuphea is magnetic in how quickly it attracts essential pollinators like bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Ideally, you should plant cuphea where they can get at least half a day of sunlight with minimal shade.

Cuphea can also thrive in dry conditions, so you don’t need to oversaturate the soil when you water it. You can get by with watering cuphea every 3-4 days unless the soil is too dry.

Blue lupine produces some of the most unique flowers that you will come across. Their unique shape and vibrant blue hue make blue lupine irresistible to hummingbirds, especially when you consider how much pollen they produce. Blue lupine requires as much sunlight as possible to grow and thrive.

It rarely grows over 2 feet tall, so you don’t have to worry about taking up too much precious space in your garden. A perennial, blue lupine will come back each year, so hummingbirds will visit your garden for a long time to come.

You can easily tell why hummingbirds love trumpet vine so much. The flowers are uniquely shaped and produce plenty of nectar, and that combination is perfect for hummingbirds. Trumpet vine produces red, orange, or yellow flowers that attract a variety of pollinators to your garden.

Attach your trumpet vine to a trellis to create an unforgettable visual in your garden. Trumpet vine can tolerate partial shade, although the plant does best in full sunlight.

Honeysuckle is instantly recognizable because of the bright flowers and flowing vines. The flowers come in a variety of colors including red, white, pink, and yellow. Hummingbirds flock to honeysuckle in droves because of how much nectar they produce, and they love the colorful flowers.

You can water honeysuckle as little as once per week if you get up to an inch of rain. Otherwise, you only need to water honeysuckle 2-3 times per week, or as needed if you experience a drought.

Hostas attract hummingbirds because of the pleasant smell and unique, trumpet-shaped flowers. There are several types of hostas, but the hosta plantaginea is the most aromatic, so it’s the most likely to attract hummingbirds and bees. Hostas are perennials, and you will see the colorful flowers quickly pop up each spring, especially if you live in the southern United States.

Be careful if you put your hostas in a spot with full sunlight exposure. They need some sun in the morning, but they can struggle to thrive if they get too much sunlight on hot days if you don’t water them enough.

Mimosa trees are hummingbirds’ favorite trees. It’s a great idea to plant a mimosa tree on your property because it will attract pollinators that will benefit the rest of your garden. Mimosa trees are known for their bright flowers and strong, pleasant smell.

Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds pick up on the smell, but it’s the enticing flowers that draw them in. They grow quickly, especially if you live in a warm, tropical climate. Mimosa trees are ornamental, so you can simultaneously make your property look more vibrant and help pollinate nearby flowers.