Hummingbirds are well known for their affinity for nectar-producing flowers. Their long, slender beaks and tongues are perfectly adapted for accessing the nectar hidden within blossoms. But not all flowers are equal when it comes to attracting hummingbirds. The types of flowers hummingbirds are most attracted to depends on several factors.
Flower Colors
One of the most important factors that attracts hummingbirds to certain flowers is the color of the blossoms. Hummingbirds have excellent color vision and are particularly drawn to flowers in the red, orange, and bright pink color spectrum. The reason is that the nectar of these brightly colored flowers contains more sugars than paler colored flowers. Some examples of red flowers that attract hummingbirds include cardinal flower, red columbine, trumpet vine, fuchsia and certain types of sage. Orange and yellow flowers like honeysuckle, trumpet creeper, daylily and weigela are also top choices.
This is because hummingbirds can see the color red as a distinct hue, unlike bees, which see red flowers as essentially grey. So the bright red color acts like a bulls-eye target guiding the hummingbirds straight to the nectar reward within. The pigments that produce red flower colors also happen to reflect ultraviolet light. This draws the birds in like a beacon. Hummingbirds have receptors sensitive to UV light wavelengths, which makes the red blossoms particularly vibrant to their visual perception.
Tubular Shape
The actual shape of the flower is also key. Hummingbirds favor flowers with a tubular or funnel-like shape. These types of blossoms perfectly accommodate the long beaks and tongues of hummingbirds. The narrow openings provide easy access to nectar hidden deep within the flowers. This allows hummingbirds to efficiently reach and lap up the nectar with their unique tongue structure without expending a lot of extra energy.
Some examples of tubular-shaped flowers favored by hummingbirds include honeysuckle, trumpet vine, certain salvias and penstemons, and certain types of wild columbine. The nectar is secreted at the base of the tube away from other nectar-stealing insects. This reserves the sweet reward specifically for the hummingbirds. The co-evolution of specialized beaks and tongue structure in hummingbirds and the tubular shape of these flowers highlights the symbiotic relationship between them.
Abundant Nectar
Flowers that produce an ample supply of nectar are key to attracting hummingbirds. Hummingbirds have very high metabolisms and must consume more than their own body weight in nectar each day to fuel their energetic lifestyle. Flowers that produce sufficient nectar to satisfy the birds’ needs are going to be the most reliable food source.
Some top nectar-producing flowers favored by hummingbirds include:
- Trumpet vine
- Coral honeysuckle
- Cardinal flower
- Fuchsia
- Petunia
- Salvia
- Bee balm
These flowers continuously produce nectar throughout the day, providing a consistent food supply. They refill with nectar quickly as it is consumed. This ensures the hummingbirds can make repeat visits and fulfill their high energy demands.
Native Plants
Providing a mix of native flowering plants that naturally occur in your area is a great way to attract local hummingbirds. Native plants have evolved alongside native pollinators like hummingbirds, adapting to provide the key features those pollinators rely on. This includes tubular bloom shape, abundant nectar, and the bright red colors hummingbirds gravitate toward.
Some great native plants for attracting hummingbirds include:
- Bee balm
- Columibne
- Penstemon
- Paintbrush
- Sage
- Trumpet creeper
- Fire pink
Choosing a variety of different native plants with overlapping flowering periods will provide an ongoing food source for resident hummingbirds as the seasons progress.
Preferred Flower Families
Certain plant families consistently contain flowers with the traits that attract hummingbirds. Focusing on these key plant groups will help you provide the most appealing options in your yard or garden. Some top plant families include:
- Mint family (Lamiaceae) – This group includes mints, sages, and other aromatic flowers rich in nectar. Examples: bee balm, pineapple sage, hummingbird mint.
- Trumpet creeper family (Bignoniaceae) – Vining plants, shrubs, and trees with showy tubular flowers. Examples: trumpet creeper, desert willow, catalpa.
- Phlox family (Polemoniaceae) – Herbaceous plants and wildflowers with five-petaled funnel or bell shaped flowers. Examples: phlox, Jacob’s ladder, blue-eyed Mary.
- Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) – Includes many wildflowers with cupped, tubular and brightly colored blooms. Examples: columbine, larkspur, anemone.
Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Incorporating some flowering trees and shrubs into your landscape provides necessary shelter for hummingbirds while also supplying nectar flowers. Some excellent options include:
| Plant Name | Features |
|---|---|
| Bottlebrush | Produces bright red, tubular flowers clustered in a brush shape |
| Mimosa | Pink, powderpuff-like blooms cover this tree in summer |
| Coral honeysuckle | A flowering vine with bright red-orange, tubular blooms |
| Weigela | Abundant pink, purple and red trumpet-shaped flowers |
| Fuschia | Elegant shrub with dangling red and purple flowers |
These plants provide dense cover for hummingbird nesting and resting while also supplying their preferred tubular flowers with plenty of sugary nectar.
Providing Adequate Habitat
In addition to planting natural food sources, it is also important to provide adequate habitat for hummingbirds to thrive. This includes:
- Planting dense shrubs and trees to create shelter and obscure sightlines from predators
- Incorporating water features like misters, drippers, or small ponds for drinking and bathing
- Placing feeders strategically to supplement natural nectar sources
- Avoiding use of pesticides which reduces insect prey
- Letting garden areas grow more wild to support insect populations
Creating an inviting habitat with shelter, food, and water helps encourage hummingbirds to take up residence and raise young.
When and Where to See Hummingbirds
To observe hummingbirds actively feeding, watch for them during the day when flowers are most productive of nectar. The early hours just after sunrise are especially busy times as the birds refuel after the night. Late afternoon is also active as they top up energy reserves before evening.
Hummingbirds can be seen visiting backyards, gardens, parks, woodland clearings, mountain meadows, and other sites that provide their favored flowers, food plants, feeders and adequate habitat. Planting a mix of the flowers and trees they are attracted to will help draw them into your own outdoor space.
Specialized Feeders
Supplementing natural nectar sources with a hummingbird feeder is a great way to observe more activity and diversity. Choose a feeder design made specifically for hummingbirds, with specialized red coloring and feeding ports that accommodate their slender bills and tongues.
Fill with a concentrated nectar formula of one part white sugar to four parts water. Don’t use honey, artificial sweeteners, food coloring or other additives. Be sure to clean and refresh feeders every few days to prevent spoiled nectar.
Strategically place feeders in areas with some shelter from wind, rain and direct sun. Position them close to flowers, trees and shrubs to allow easy movement between feeding ports and protective cover. This will help attract birds and keep them returning to your habitat.
Common Hummingbird Flower Visits
Below are some of the most commonly observed hummingbird-pollinated flowers that attract the birds across North America:
- Trumpet Creeper – Bright orange/red, tubular flowers on climbing vine
- Bee Balm – Shaggy clusters of red or purple tubular flowers
- Verbena – Clusters of small red/purple/pink funnel flowers
- Penstemon – Spike of tubular pink/purple/red flowers
- Columbine – Elegant red and yellow bell-shaped blooms
- Coral Honeysuckle – Orange and red tubular blooms on vining shrub
- Cardinal Flower – Brilliant red tube-shaped flower spikes
- Salvia – Spikes of small tubular red, white, purple or blue flowers
- Fuchsia – Dangling red and purple teardrop flowers
- Petunia – Trumpet-shaped pink, purple, or red blooms
Seeking out these favorite, nectar-rich flowers will give you the best chances of attracting hungry hummingbirds to your yard or garden.
Regional Flower Differences
While certain flowers appear to be universally favored by hummingbirds across their broad North American range, there are some key regional differences as well based on native plants and hummingbird species present. For example:
- Southwest – Ocotillo, Hesperaloe, Saguaro cactus blooms
- California – Mimulus, Matilija poppy
- Pacific Northwest – Fuchsia-flowering gooseberry, Western columbine
- Midwest – Trumpet creeper, Cardinal flower, Bee balm
- Southeast – Coral honeysuckle, Rose mallow
Identifying and planting some of the iconic wildflowers and native plants specific to your bioregion can help maximize visits from local hummingbird species by providing the food sources they rely on.
Best Flowers for Hanging Baskets
One great way to position nectar flowers right in a hummingbird’s flight path is to use hanging baskets on your porch or patio. Some top choices for hummingbird-attracting hanging flowers include:
- Fuchsia
- Petunia
- Million bells
- Verbena
- Calibrachoa
- Portulaca
- Lantana
Be sure to choose brightly colored varieties in red, orange, purple or pink. Go for single blossoms rather than double flowers, since this allows easier access to nectar. Place baskets where you can view visiting hummingbirds up close as they feed!
Do Hummingbirds Pollinate Flowers?
Hummingbirds serve as important pollinators for many species of plants. When visiting flowers, they drink nectar and also pick up pollen on their bills and heads. As they move between blossoms, some of this pollen rubs off and pollinates the flowers, allowing them to develop seeds and fruit.
Features like bright red color, tubular shape, and abundant nectar have evolved in specialized flowers to specifically attract pollination by hummingbirds. The shape perfectly matches the hummingbird’s bill and tongue structure. This co-evolution makes them ideal partners.
Hummingbirds favor red tubular flowers with lots of nectar, while these flowers in turn depend on hummingbirds as reliable pollinators. Some examples of plants pollinated by hummingbirds include:
- Fuchsia
- Salvia
- Columbine
- Coral bells
- Cardinal flower
- Indian paintbrush
By pollinating these plants and transporting pollen from flower to flower, hummingbirds help propagate the next generation.
Do Hummingbirds Damage Flowers?
In most cases, hummingbirds do not damage flower parts as they feed. Their long slender bills are specially adapted for retrieving nectar from deep within tubular or funnel-shaped blossoms. And their heads and bills have just the right shape to pick up pollen for transport between flowers.
However, in some situations hummingbirds may occasionally damage flowers by perforating petals to access nectar. This usually only occurs if the flower’s shape makes the nectar otherwise inaccessible. Most of the flowers hummingbirds frequent provide the perfect fit to minimize damage.
Some tips to reduce potential flower damage include:
- Choosing single blossoms rather than doubled flowers which block nectar access
- Avoiding very ruffled or elaborately filled flowers
- Planting a range of tubular, trumpet-shaped blooms matching hummingbird bill structure
- Deadheading spent blooms so birds don’t need to poke through wilting flowers
- Accepting minor cosmetic damage for the joy of supporting pollinators
Following these tips when selecting flowers will provide an abundant nectar feast and reduce unnecessary damage from frustrated hummingbirds.
Conclusion
Hummingbirds have specialized adaptations allowing them to capitalize on tubular, nectar-rich flowers, particularly those in the red color spectrum. In turn, many flowers have evolved to attract hummingbird pollination through offerings of sweet nectar rewards. By landscaping with the flowers and plants hummingbirds naturally gravitate towards, you can create an inviting habitat to observe their beauty and fascinating behaviors up close.
