Components of a Nature Habitat - List of Hummingbird Plants


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Table I

Lists recommended herbaceous plants that can provide a variety of flowers for hummingbirds when they are present in your rural or urban community. These landscape plants provide beauty as well as a natural foraging area where hummingbirds can find both flower nectar and small insects to eat. Select plants that provide flowers throughout the season, especially at times when you expect hummingbirds. Include red varieties of the plants listed because red tubular flowers appear to be especially attractive to hummingbirds. Some of the plants listed occur both as wildflowers and as cultivated varieties. Where these wildflowers are growing naturally, maintaining them can benefit hummingbirds. For planting, check with nurseries for availability of either wildflowers or cultivated varieties.

Components of a Nature Habitat

Hummingbird Plants

Trees and shrubs form the framework of your landscape and these also can benefit hummingbirds. Common flowering shrubs favored by hummingbirds include Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus and other species), Weigela (Weigela florida), and Rose-of-Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus). Other shrubs used include Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.), Beauty Bush (Kolkwitzia amabilis), Currant (Ribes odoratum), and Gooseberry (Ribes speciosum). Trees used by hummingbirds include Flowering Crab (Malus spp.), Hawthorne (Crataegus spp.), Horsechestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), and Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). In maintaining flowering plants, it's best to avoid insecticide use around the flowers, because hummingbirds depend on small insects as part of their diet.

Table I. Herbaceous plants that attract hummingbirds

Plants Sun
Exposure		 Moisture
Preference		 Flowering
Time		 Comments
Rose-of-Sharon
Hibiscus syriacus		 Full sun to partial shade Moist; well-drained Late summer to early fall Perennial shrub that may die back to the ground each year.
American columbine
Aquilegia hybrids		 Full sun to partial shade Moist; well-drained Late spring early summer Short-lived herbaceous perennial. In full sun locations, protect from hot afternoon sun.
Bee balm
(Oswego tea, or Scarlet bergamot)
Monarda didyma		 Full sun Moist Summer Herbaceous perennial. Many cultivars - select powdery mildew resistant types. Remove faded flowers (dead head). Not drought tolerant.
Blazing stars
Liatris spp.		 Full sun or light shade Moist; well-drained Midsummer to late fall Perennial. Several species and cultivars available.
Butterfly-bush
Buddleia davidii		 Full sun Moist; well-drained; cool Early summer Behaves as a herbaceous perennial in our climate. Many cultivars.
Clematis
Clematis x jackmanii and other species		 East exposure; sun Moist; well-drained; cool soil Early summer Perennial. Many cultivars - some natives; mulch soil to keep cool; avoid hot afternoon sun.
Coral bells
Heuchera sanguinea		 Sun to partial shade Moist; well-drained Late spring Herbaceous perennial; Needs high organic soils - avoid clay
Daylily
Hemerocallis spp. and hybrids		 Sun to partial shade Moist to dry, well-drained Late spring to summer Herbaceous perennial. Many hybrids - use different hybrids and species to obtain season long bloom.
Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea		 Semi-shade Moist; well-drained Spring Biennial; self-sows and maintains itself.
Garden phlox (Perennial phlox)
Phlox paniculata		 Sun Moist; well-drained Summer Herbaceous perennial. Requires site with good air movement; avoid overhead watering, or water in early morning; many cultivars; mildew a serious problem.
Gladiolas
Gladiolus spp.		 Sun Moist; well-drained Summer Perennial, but store corm indoors over winter; protect from wind
Hardy fuchsia
Fuchsia riccartoni		 Sun in morning; shade in afternoon Moist; well-drained Summer, fall Not hardy in Nebraska; grow in a container and bring indoors in winter.
Hollyhock
Alcea Rosea (Althaea rosa)		 Sun Moist; well-drained Summer, fall Biennial. Self-sows; maintains single flower type
Honeysuckle Trumpet
Lonicera sempervirens and hybrids such as Brown's honeysuckle.		 Sun to shade Moist; well-drained Spring; sparsely thereafter Perennial vine.
Hosta
Hosta spp.		 Semi-shade Moist; well-drained Early summer to late summer Herbaceous perennial.
Moss pink
Phlox subulata		 Full sun Moist; well-drained Early spring Herbaceous perennial.
Nasturtium
Tropaeolum spp.		 Sun; avoid hot sites Dry, low N soils Summer, fall Annual.
Penstemon
Penstemon gloxinoides and other species		 Sun Dry; well-drained Spring to summer Herbaceous perennial.
Petunia
Petunia x hybrida		 Full sun Well-drained Summer to frost Annual.
Salvia or sage (red and others)
Salvia splendens and others		 Sun to light shade Moist; well-drained Spring to frost Annual to herbaceous perennial. Tolerates some moisture stress, but with reduced flowering.
Flowering tobacco
Nicotiana alata		 Full sun to partial shade Moist; well-drained Summer, fall Annual.
Scarlet runner pole bean
Phaseolus coccineus		 Sun Well-drained Summer Annual vine.
Scarlet trumpet creeper
Campsis radicans		 Sun Well-drained Summer Annual vine.
Wild blue phlox
Phlox divaricata		 Shade Moist; well-drained Spring Herbaceous perennial.
Zinnias
Zinnia elegans		 Full sun Well-drained Summer, fall Annual.

The Registry of Nature Habitats - Fall Plants

Components of a Nature Habitat 

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