Hummingbird Plants
By: Garden Gate staff
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Hummingbird favorites
As gardeners, we have a unique connection to nature. Often our efforts growing and nurturing plants are rewarded by the arrival of one of nature’s most beautiful — hummingbirds.
Not only are they a wonder to watch, they pollinate your flowers as they collect nectar and even eat small insects in your garden. Increase your chances of encountering these winged visitors with the five nectar-rich blooms ahead!
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Batface plant Cuphea llavea
In containers, batface plant does best with even moisture and some shade during the hottest part of the day.
Type Tender perennial
Blooms Red from late spring to frost
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Moist, well-drained
Size 18 to 24 in. tall, 24 to 36 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 9 to 11
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 12 to 1
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Petunia Petunia hybrids
Of all the petunia flower types, single-flowered ones are the easiest for hummingbirds to feed from because of their funnel shape.
Type Annual
Blooms Many colors, summer to frost
Light Full sun
Soil Moist, well-drained
Size 4 to 12 in. tall, 8 to 48 in. wide
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 12 to 1
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Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis
For cardinal flower, moist soil is a must-have. Partly shaded woodland gardens or areas where the soil tends to stay wet are great spots, but it’ll tolerate full sun in cooler zones.
Type Perennial
Blooms Scarlet red from midsummer into fall
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Moist to wet, humus-rich
Size 2 to 4 ft. tall, 1 to 2 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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Rose of Sharon Hibiscus syriacus
Hummingbirds normally seek out tubular flowers for food, but the large cup-shaped single or semi-double blooms of rose of Sharon are an exception to that rule. Most have flowers with deep-colored centers, perfect “bull’s eyes” for where the nectar pools.
Type Shrub
Blooms Pink, white, red, lavender or purple in midsummer to early fall
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Moist, well-drained
Size 5 to 12 ft. tall, 4 to 7 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 5 to 8
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 8 to 1
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Snapdragon Antirrhinum spp. and hybrids
Snapdragon flowers come in white, yellow, orange, pink, red and everything in between — even bicolors. You’ll get the most blooms when you use a water-soluble fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, biweekly.
Type Tender perennial
Blooms Many colors from spring through fall
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Moist, well-drained
Size 5 to 48 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 7 to 10
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 12 to 1
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