Planting to attract hummingbirds

[polgara]

Where I now live, taking care of my grandmother. I am limited to container gardening but I'm not letting that stop me. I've put together several mixed containers so far and hope to do some more next week. Anyway, my question is related to attracting hummingbirds as my grandmother loves them and has a hummingbird feeder.

I found two plants labeled as ones that attract hummingbirds - fuschia and another I can't remember the official name but it has pretty star-shaped flowers. What other plants are extra attractive to hummingbirds?

 

[LIcenter]

I'm planting Cardinal Climber vine this year, which is a plant the hummers love. Plant by seed, and very easy to grow. You will need some sort of trellis though.
https://www.google.com/search?q=car...climberheirloomseeds2015-p-7197.html;1023;798

 

[galmal]

They seem to love my cleomes, which are an annual that reseed themselves, so you really only need to plant them once. They get about 4-5' tall but only maybe 1' wide. Most people grow them in clusters, so they can be as wide as you'd like. For a container, you would probably only plant 3-4.

They also love my purple malva, also know as Zebrina Mallow. It's a perennial. It gets about 3-4' tall and is about 2' wide.

Both can be grown in containers, just make sure that they are large enough. Make sure that you water them frequently- in the summer, probably every day.

Cleome - this is probably 50 plants

Malva

 

[galmal]

Here's a list of 12 plants that attract both butterflies and hummingbirds. Hope this helps.

 

[Cereus]

I grew columbines but I never saw hummingbirds flock to them. Trumpet vines yes, butterfly bushes are so so, pholx and bee balm yes. Hibiscus is the same. Definitely fuschias for hummingbirds. My grandmother had them and hummingbirds went nuts. Honeysuckles draw them in really well too. Just gotta curb honeysuckles though since they love to spread.

 

[tbendl]

Oh goodness yay! I planted 4 of those on the list last weekend. I love my hummingbirds.

 

[CanadianLori]

I just started cardinal flower seeds so this is all too good!

 

[ChanellG]

I started a whole discussion for this a few weeks back. We can give you a list of things that attract them, like cuphea and salvia, but that won't do you any good if the plants can't thrive in your zone. You should check with the local extension office for plants specific to your area.

 

[ChanellG]

I take it back; it was last October:
https://www.gardening-forums.com/threads/attracting-and-feeding-hummingbirds-and-butterflies.3547/

 

[claudine]

I remember that thread. It was very informative. Unfortunately, there are no hummingbirds in my area. I can plant any plant I want, but I can't change the climate

Galmal - it's so beautiful! It doesn't surprise me at all that hummingbirds love this plant

 

[LIcenter]

I started a whole discussion for this a few weeks back. We can give you a list of things that attract them, like cuphea and salvia, but that won't do you any good if the plants can't thrive in your zone. You should check with the local extension office for plants specific to your area.

I plant cuphea up hear. We just treat it as an annual, and boy do the hummers love it!

 

[ChanellG]

I plant cuphea up hear. We just treat it as an annual, and boy do the hummers love it!

Someone in the plant swap has a different variety so we're going to try and exchange cuttings. She has a better success rate than I do with the plant, but I'm hoping to get a propagation box going soon. I need to get some perlite and vermiculite.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

East coast, you must be talking about the Ruby-throated hummingbird.

Here's a short list:

Red buckeye, jewelweed, columbine, trumpet creeper, red morning-glory, wild bergamot, bee-balm, scarlet painted-cup, trumpet honeysuckle, fly-honeysuckle, cardinal flower, royal catchfly, round-leaved catchfly, fire-pink, four o’clock, phlox, coral salvia, lilies, scarlet sage, aloes, penstemons.

 

[IcyBC]

The chart of different flowers to plant is fantastic! I have a few of them in the yard already, but haven't seen the hummingbirds. I think my area of traffic is too busy and scare them away.

 

[Corzhens]

We don't have hummingbirds here but the one attraction for birds is the guava tree. Birds love the ripe guavas and the scent of ripe guavas are attractants to birds. Another tree is the mulberry which the small birds love when the fruits are ripe. And another bird attraction is the wild passion fruit, the small ones with sweet seeds that birds really love.

 

[Fernsdaddy]

I have hanging baskets of petunia's the hummers love.

We have 5 different species of hummers here in Ma. I get the Green broad bill and some times a Ruby throated if its not run off by the broad bill hummer.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I just started cardinal flower seeds so this is all too good!

Try out the blue version too called Great Blue Lobelia, if you haven't already!

 

[Esther Knapicius]

In the very early spring the Virginia blue bells tell me when a hummer has finally made it for the season, they love darting in and out of the bells, it is then that I hang the first feeder. My hummers also love a honeysuckle vine that lumbers across my deck railing, producing 4 blooms a season. The other plant that the hummers adore is the bee balm.

 

[arthnel]

I readily recommend the Trumpet Vine and Hibiscus. These plants produce a high amount of very sweet nectar that keeps hummingbirds coming back. The wide variety of colors they come in would also add greatly to your garden. It would be real nice too if you put up that feeder using some sugar dissolved in plain water. Once they become aware of a regular feeding source your garden is sure to come alive with hummingbirds.

 

[marlingardener]

Arthnel is absolutely right about having feeders available for hummingbirds. One part white cane sugar to four parts water, brought to a boil and then cooled, makes a syrup the little guys love! We have two feeders hanging near our patio, and regularly get "buzzed" by hummingbirds in the morning while we are having our coffee.
We have flowers that hummingbirds visit regularly, but they still like the feeders.