Hummingbird Plants That Keep Nectar Blooming From Spring to Fall

Hummingbirds and their flowers evolved together. Wisconsin Horticulture explains that hummingbird bills range from short and straight to long and curved, and that each shape matches flowers with tubes of a similar length and curve. Hummingbird-pollinated flowers are often red or orange, generally lack the near-ultraviolet patterns that guide insects to land, and tend to make relatively weak nectar high in sucrose.

Some flowers depend on the birds completely. University of Florida IFAS notes that cardinal flower relies entirely on hummingbirds for pollination, because other pollinators have trouble reaching the inside of the flower.

Three plant choices change how much nectar a bed actually offers, according to Wisconsin Horticulture.

Color is the trait people notice, but it is only a slight preference. Wisconsin notes that hummingbirds feed readily on tubular flowers of other colors, and that a plant on a favorites list may go unused in some areas. The red flowers for beds and borders page covers the color side of the choice, while the plants here are chosen for nectar and season.

The table combines Wisconsin Horticulture's list of the best Midwest hummingbird plants with University of Florida IFAS natives for the Southeast, and takes hardiness and bloom season from NC State Extension's plant database. Hardiness zones describe winter survival, so a plant listed as a tender perennial can still feed hummingbirds all summer as an annual in a colder zone.

A few southern natives need care around children and pets. University of Florida IFAS notes that all parts of red buckeye are poisonous to humans and toxic to pets, and that coral bean seeds are poisonous. Lantana, another plant Wisconsin lists for hummingbirds, is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses according to the ASPCA.

Familiar garden plants round out the list. Wisconsin includes salvia hybrids, tall garden phlox, coral bells, weigela, verbena, and lantana, so an existing border may already hold a hummingbird plant or two that only needs partners blooming in other months.

Wisconsin Horticulture recommends staggered bloom times so there is food for the entire season, and the birds' calendar explains why both ends matter.

In much of the East and Midwest the bird is the ruby-throated hummingbird. Wisconsin describes it as the only common hummingbird in the Midwest, and other species seen there do not breed east of the Mississippi. Females raise one or two broods each summer, and in late summer and fall the birds gain as much as 100% of their body weight to fuel migration, which includes a nonstop flight across the Gulf of Mexico. Males start leaving first, sometimes by early August.

Timing differs by region. Wisconsin notes that pineapple sage rarely blooms in the upper Midwest before ruby-throated hummingbirds leave, so a plant that is a fall staple farther south may flower too late to help there. In Florida, IFAS points out that nesting runs from spring through summer and that a few other hummingbird species can appear in winter, which is where long-blooming firebush earns its place.

Hummingbird plants do not share one set of growing conditions, and putting each in the right spot is what keeps them blooming.

Moist ground suits cardinal flower, which NC State describes as a plant of moist locations and IFAS recommends for rain gardens. Scarlet bee balm also tolerates wet soil. These two do poorly in a dry, sunny border that suits salvias.

Dry, hot sites suit scarlet sage, blue anise sage, and coral bells, which NC State lists as resistant to drought, and firebush, which IFAS describes as tolerant of heat and drought.

Part shade still works for several. NC State lists cardinal flower, coral honeysuckle, eastern columbine, and coral bells for part shade, though IFAS notes that firebush and scarlet sage both flower more in sun.

Grouping the moisture lovers together, away from the drought-tolerant salvias, lets one bed be watered for cardinal flower without drowning plants that prefer to dry out.

Wisconsin Horticulture notes that patches of flowers tend to work better than individual plants spaced widely through a landscape, and that even a few highly attractive plants added to existing gardens will draw birds. A group of one plant gives a feeding bird many flowers in a single stop.

Cover matters too. The same source recommends trees or tall shrubs nearby for nesting and perching, along with a source of water. A shrub or small tree within sight of the main patch gives birds a place to rest and watch between visits.

Territory shapes how the patches should be arranged. Both male and female ruby-throated hummingbirds are territorial and aggressively chase other hummingbirds from their feeding area, according to Wisconsin. Several separate patches, out of sight of each other, can give more than one bird a place to feed instead of letting a single bird guard everything.

Once hummingbirds find a patch, Wisconsin notes, they are likely to keep visiting through the season and usually return the following year.

A hummingbird garden does not need ground space. Wisconsin Horticulture notes that hummingbirds readily visit flowers in containers, which puts nectar beside a patio, deck, or window where the birds can be watched.

Tender perennials are the natural container plants because they bloom for months and are replaced each spring in cold climates anyway. NC State describes cigar plant as suitable for containers, with near year-round flowering, and it can be wintered indoors in a sunny spot. Scarlet sage and the salvia hybrids Wisconsin lists also fill a large pot quickly.

A narrow trellis turns a pot or a small bed into vertical bloom. Coral honeysuckle twines up a support, and trumpet vine climbs by clinging rootlets, which is a reason to give it a freestanding post or arbor rather than a house wall.

Flowers are the main food, and Wisconsin Horticulture describes feeders as a supplement, most useful when blooms are scarce. Its recommended mix is white granulated sugar at 3 to 4 parts water to 1 part sugar, with weaker solutions of 4:1 or 5:1 during hot, dry weather when the birds need more water. Natural nectar averages close to the 3:1 strength.

Hummingbirds also eat small insects and spiders, which supply protein and other nutrients that nectar does not, and females feed their young mainly on insects. That is why Wisconsin advises avoiding pesticides that would kill those small insects. A hummingbird bed that is sprayed for aphids loses part of the food supply it was planted to provide.