If you haven’t been paying attention, hummingbirds are a thing. Actually, they’ve been a thing for a long time.
There are whole websites devoted to tracking their spring migration north from their overwintering grounds in (mostly) southern Mexico and Central America. The first sighting of a ruby-throated hummingbird in the neighborhood is sometimes marked with reactions akin to Steve Martin’s character in the 1979 cult hit movie, “The Jerk,” screaming at the top of his lungs, “the new phone books are here … the new phone books are here!”
But whether or not you are as vociferous about the return of your particular crop of hummingbirds, it’s hard to deny that feeling — a bit like seeing an old friend after a long absence.
Some gardeners out there are long practitioners of the art of hummingbird attraction. Neighboring gardeners (who are sometimes known to get a tad competitive) have been known to sabotage a neighbor’s feeder(s) in order to capture the title of “first of the season” or “greatest quantity” or my personal favorite (insert eye-rolling emoji!) “the most hummingbird-filled yard” award.
There are also folks out there who just sit back and wait for something magic to happen. Might not have a single flower in the whole yard but sit there, mint julep I hand, saying, “Hmmm. Why don’t I have any hummingbirds like my neighbor down the street?”
Hummingbird in Southern Indiana. Sept. 8, 2024
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Finally, there are some who would love to offer a bit of hummingbird service but don’t want to commit to a giant garden that needs to be maintained. For those people, something as simple as a few annuals in pots can provide enough to attract a few birds, provide them some much needed nourishment, and give you something to enjoy while you’re sipping that julep.
I won’t get into the planted flowers vs. well-maintained feeders in this column. I’ll let you argue that one with your hummingbirdiest neighbors. But assuming you want to go the cultivated flower route, the following are a few suggested varieties, in alphabetical order.
Cuphea
The bat face Cuphea and all its Cuphea cousins are excellent hummingbird plants, especially for use in containers.
The so-called bat face cuphea (Cuphea llavea) might take some searching to find but if you are in the market for plants that will make you the hands down hummingbirdiest gardener in your neighborhood, this is one to consider. There are many cupheas (also known sometimes as cigar plant) and they all excel in the hummingbird realm. In my experience they work better in large containers than in the ground. They are full sun plants and take well to midsummer cutbacks that can help keep them tidy.
Geraniums/Pelargoniums
Geraniums in the backyard garden at the home of Patti Hope. April 22, 2024
In one of the more annoyingly confusing plant nomenclature moves in the history of botanical nomenclature, what we all grew up with as a geranium, is in the genus Pelargonium, not in the genus Geranium. Members of the genus Geranium are mostly herbaceous perennials that make superb garden plants in their own right, but they’re generally not big hummingbird magnets.
The Pelargoniums are those (mostly) brilliant red flowered affairs your grandmother probably grew in pots in the summer and then overwintered on windowsills. They love the sun. They love the heat. And as long as you deadhead them regularly, they attract clouds of hummingbirds all summer long.
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Impatiens
Classically considered shade plants, many newer Impatiens selections are bred for the sun and hummingbirds love them. This white Sunpatiens® is a vigorous sun plant that works well in ground beds and large containers.
Once an obligate shade plant, many of today’s Impatiens have been developed with seemingly bionic vigor and a love for the sun. And while their flowers don’t have the typical tubular shape normally associated with hummingbird activity, the little guys love the Impatiens. Impatiens don’t require deadheading, produce masses of brightly colored flowers, and only require judicious watering to keep them happy.
Lantana
One of the most heat and sun tolerant of all the hummingbird attractors is lantana. This ‘Samantha’ variegated variety combines hummingbird attracting flowers with yellow/green variegated leaves.
Denizen of hot, sunny gardens, lantanas are flower machines. And the hummingbirds love them. There are large forms that will produce a cloud of stems, flowers, and foliage up to 4-feet tall or so. Some newer forms will stay closer to the ground and can even be small enough to make them good container selections. And if it ever gets too hot for you to grow lantanas, you best move to Mars for the cooler weather.
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Nicotiana
Heliotrope, nicotiana and other fragrant flowers can provide aromatherapy at the end of a stressful day.
The so-called flowering tobaccos are excellent hummingbird selections. While not great for containers, they perform admirably in good garden beds, offering sweetly scented flowers all summer long. Some top out at 4 or 5-feet tall while others stay at around a foot in height.
Petunias
Petunias grow in the garden of Lisa and Glenn Todd. May 25, 2022
Ok, I admit it. I’d rather plant a bunch of Bermudagrass in a pot than even a single petunia. I don’t know why. I’ve just never been a fan. But we all have our unreasonable biases and that’s one of mine. Still, it’s hard to deny the flower power of a well grown petunia planting. And the geometry of a petunia flower is perfect for the hummingbird’s anatomy. They will slurp up the nectar and keep coming back as long as the plants have flowers. And don’t be fooled by the assertions that red flowers are all the bomb for hummingbirds. Most research has shown that hummingbirds prefer flowers with the best and most nectar, regardless of petal color.
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Salvias
The annual red salvias are brilliant hummingbird plants for garden beds and containers. There are also many herbaceous perennial Salvias that are equally attractive to hummingbirds.
Pretty much any salvia will be a hands down winner in attracting and feeding hummers. The annual salvias including red salvia (Salvia splendens) are brilliant hummingbird selections regardless of flower color. Like petunias, they are screaming hot sun plants so make sure they get plenty of sun and plenty of water to keep them producing all summer long. The Texas native scarlet salvia (S. coccinea) is technically a perennial in the south but in central and northern latitudes can be grown as a summer annual crop. It won’t typically survive the winters but its Texas roots mean it will be perfectly happy in whatever summer the Midwest can throw at it. There are plenty more cold hardy herbaceous perennial salvias that also make excellent hummingbird attractors. Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ is a particular favorite at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens.
Zinnias
Zinnias come in a wealth of colors and all are excellent for attracting hummingbirds to the garden.They also make excellent cut flowers for the home garden.
Another annual that might not at first look like the typical hummingbird flower, Zinnias come in a wide range of brilliant colors, make great cuts for bringing indoors, and can attract clouds of hummingbirds. Sun, sun, sun.
Paul Cappiello is the executive director at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens, 6220 Old Lagrange Road, yewdellgardens.org.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Best annual plants to attract hummingbirds in the garden