Summer time is hummer time at my house and I hope it is at your house, too
We are delighted when hummingbirds honor our gardens with their regular visits, zipping from favorite plant to favorite plant to savor the nectar. Sometimes hummers seem frantic as they dart back and forth at 30 mph, buzz madly with wings flapping up to 80 times per second and of course, dive bomb the unwary gardener who dares impinge on hummer territory!
While some of us hang feeders to enhance hummers' enjoyment and entice them to stay longer (red surveyor's tape tied on the red feeder will help catch their attention), some hummingbird lovers simply rely on the flower garden to attract them to our yards.
Which plants attract them best? Basically, whatever is in bloom at the moment, starting when they first arrive in the spring and lasting until they head south again when the days begin to shorten. While their preferred colors are first red, orange, and pink, after that almost any brightly colored, tubular flower will do just fine.
Bright colors are important because hummers feed by sight -- fragrance is not important at all because hummers can't smell any more than most birds can. The tubular shape is best because hummers use their long tongues to lick out the flower nectar. I was so disappointed to learn that; I had always enjoyed that whimsical vision of elegant little hummers daintily sipping nectar.
To start out the early season if you live in a cold climate like I do (PA zone 6), you might plant azalea, weigela, and flowering quince. Next come the honeysuckles (both shrubs and vines), the trumpet creeper vine, and the mimosa trees. Butterfly gardeners will already know that butterfly bushes are a great hummingbird plant, too!
During summer and into the fall, annuals are a great source of nectar: morning glory and red cypress vines, petunias, impatiens, red salvias and pineapple sage. The tropical cannas and lantana are also favorites. Among the perennials, penstemon, daylilies, lilies and columbine are great favorites. Even shady gardens can attract hummers with hosta blooms!
There is one other thing to do to encourage your local hummers, and that is to be very conservative about your pesticide use. Not only do the hummers rely on the little insects for their protein, but they may also ingest anything you have sprayed on the flowers when they drink the nectar.
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