Gardening Wild Birds Attracting & Feeding Birds

19 Best Plants to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Yard

Designing Your Garden for Beautiful Blooms and Birds

Hummingbird feeding at a lantana flower.

DansPhotoArt on flickr / Getty Images

Many flowers attract hummingbirds. Red flowers like columbine and crocosmia have a reputation for catching the attention of these winged wonders, also flowers with long, tubular throats like honeysuckle or rose of Sharon. But, despite popular belief, hummingbirds love nectar-rich flowers of all colors.

Aim for a floral mix of different sizes, textures, forms, and bloom times when planning a garden to attract hummingbirds. You can choose from annuals, perennials, vines, shrubs, trees, bedding plants, and hanging plants.

Here are 19 flowers favored by hummingbirds, including many red flowers and purple, white, orange, pink, and blue hues.

Flower Factors to Consider

In addition to being attractive flowers for hummingbirds, the following criteria should be considered when selecting plants:

Vines, Bushes, and Herbaceous Perennials

Vines and bushes are essential for those who want to combine effective landscape design with the hobby of watching hummingbirds or butterflies. Bushes can be used as structural elements to form a border to separate two properties. They can be similarly employed within your property bounds to define distinct outdoor spaces.

Even a driveway can be transformed from a humdrum component of a landscape to an aesthetic achievement if bordered by attractive bushes. A vine-covered arbor can likewise be an important structural element of a landscape, furnishing it with a focal point.

Here are some of the best annuals, perennials, vines, and herbaceous plants to serve as hummingbird magnets for perennial flower beds.

  • 01 of 19

    Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

    Bee balm plant with bright pink showy flowers on thin stems

    The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

    The long-blooming perennial bee balm (Monarda didyma) is a fine choice for plants in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9. This member of the mint family with red or light purple blooms likes soil that is slightly acidic and on the moist side. It reaches a maximum of 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide (many cultivars are smaller). Full sun in the North is best; in the South, give it partial shade.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
    • Flower Color Varieties: Red, purple, pink, white, lavender
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Rich, moist
    • Mature Size: 10–48 in. tall, 10–36 in. wide
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
  • 02 of 19

    Phlox (Phlox paniculata)

    Phlox plant with small purple and white flowers clustered on end of stem

    The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

    Garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) bears fragrant flowers that draw hummingbirds to yards in zones 4 to 8. These perennials can give you a number of different looks, including the variegated leaves of 'Nora Leigh' (24 to 36 inches tall with a width about half that) and the white flowers of the mildew-resistant 'David' cultivar (3 to 4 feet tall, spreading about 2 to 3 feet) that make it a good moon garden plant. Give garden phlox full sun in the North and partial sun in the South.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
    • Flower Color Varieties: Lavender, lilac, pink, purple, salmon, white
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Moist but well-drained
    • Mature Size: 2 to 4 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
  • 03 of 19

    Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadense)

    Columbine flower with red and yellow jasper cap-like petals on thin stem closeup

    The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

    Red columbine (Aquilegia canadense) is a 2-foot-tall perennial for zones 3 to 8. Its blooms are showy and timely and are perfect for attracting hummingbirds just beginning to return north from their winter homes. Columbine performs well in partial shade.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
    • Flower Color Varieties: Red, orange, yellow, blue, purple, violet, pink, white
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Sandy, loamy, moist but well-drained; slightly acidic
    • Mature Size: 1-3 ft. tall, 1-2 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
  • 04 of 19

    Blue lupine (Lupinus perennis)

    Blue lupine flowers behind palmate leaves with royal blue petals and green tipped buds at ends of stems

    The Spruce / K. Dave

    Blue lupine (Lupinus perennis) is native to North America; grow it in zones 3 to 8. Two feet tall when in bloom, this plant isn't as showy as the non-native lupines, but native plant enthusiasts will gladly give up a little pizzazz to see hummingbirds sipping nectar from a made-in-America perennial. Give it full sun in the North, and partial shade in the South.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
    • Flower Color Varieties: Blue; sometimes white or pinkish
    • Light: Full
    • Soil Needs: Dry to average moisture, well-drained soil
    • Mature Size: 2–24 inches tall, 12–18 inches wide
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
    Continue to 5 of 19 below
  • 05 of 19

    Delphinium

    Delphinium plant with bright blue columnar spikes clustered with small blue flowers in garden

    The Spruce / Autumn Wood

    Delphinium is a traditional favorite that supplies hummingbirds with food. Their value also comes from the heights they reach. Some delphiniums can be grown in zones 3 to 9, often up to 7 feet tall.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
    • Flower Color Varieties: Blue, pink, purple, white
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Moist loam, well-draining
    • Mature Size: 6 in. to 7 ft. fall
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
  • 06 of 19

    Hollyhocks (Alcea)

    Hollyhock mallow plant with pink, white and red trumpet-shaped flowers and buds on flower spikes

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Sun-loving hollyhocks (Alcea) often outgrow even the delphiniums and are hardy to zone 3. Technically biennials, hollyhocks self-seed so well that they are usually treated as perennials. Both delphiniums and hollyhocks come in a variety of colors and, due to their stately stature, are an excellent choice to form a back row in a tiered perennial bed.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-10
    • Flower Color Varieties: White, pink, red, yellow, lavender
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
    • Mature Size: Typically up to 8 ft. tall, 1-2 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant: Somewhat
  • 07 of 19

    Crocosmia 'Lucifer'

    Crocosmia

    The Spruce / Autumn Wood

    Seek the 'Lucifer' cultivar of Crocosmia (30 to 36 inches tall and about half as wide) for flowers in the orange-to-red color range. This South African native is "for the birds," while rabbit pests avoid it. Crocosmia plants spring out of corms and should be grown in full sun to partial shade in zones 5 to 9.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9
    • Flower Color Varieties: Red, yellow, orange
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
    • Mature Size: 2-3 feet high
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
  • 08 of 19

    Salvia (Salvia nemorosa)

    Salvia plant with small purple flowers on spikes closeup

    The Spruce / Krystal Slagle

    Cold-hardy to zone 4, Salvia nemorosa is usually known for its spikes of bluish or purplish flowers. But this perennial salvia also attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Many cultivars are available. Size is commonly 18 to 24 inches in height, with a similar spread. The leaves are lance-shaped and give off a pungent aroma. Give Salvia nemorosa full sun and adequate water, and deadhead it, and it will provide color all summer long.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
    • Flower Color Varieties: Lavender to violet blue
    • Light: Full
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-draining
    • Mature Size: 18 to 24 inches in height, with a similar spread
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
    Continue to 9 of 19 below
  • 09 of 19

    Coral Bells (Heuchera spp.)

    "Honey Rose" Coral Bells stems with small pink flowers closeup

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    The plants are small, and the flowers are even smaller, but Heuchera spp. attract hummingbirds. 'Blondie' is a cultivar of coral bells with yellow flowers for zones 4 to 9. This perennial can take full sun. It's a small (5 inches when not in bloom) plant, useful at the front of a perennial border.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
    • Flower Color Varieties: Red, white, pink, orange
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Rich, moist but well-drained
    • Mature Size: 8–18 in. tall, 12–24 in. wide
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
  • 10 of 19

    Impatient Lucy (Impatiens)

    Impatiens plant with dark green leaves surrounding bright pink flowers

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

    Impatiens is a bedding plant that draws hummingbirds. This small annual will grow in the shade, allowing you to attract hummingbirds to your yard even if you have a small property and don't get much sun on your land. Impatient Lucy doesn't get much bigger than a foot tall and commonly flowers in white, red, pink, violet, coral, or purple.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 11
    • Flower Color Varieties: White, red, pink, orange, purple, yellow
    • Light: Partial sun, full shade
    • Soil Needs: Well-draining; acidic
    • Mature Size: 6–36 in. tall; 1–3 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant: No
  • 11 of 19

    Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii)

    Butterfly bush plant with tiny pink flower clustered on spike closeup

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

    A shrub that has a prime place in sunny hummingbird gardens is Buddleia davidii. It can get 6 to 12 feet tall with a spread of 4 to 15 feet in warm climates. For some growers, that is too big, so consider pruning it back to the ground in late winter or early spring. It will re-emerge from its root system.

    If you need a further incentive for pruning the butterfly bush, consider that you get more and bigger blooms on the butterfly bush's new growth that hummingbirds can feed from. Treat the butterfly bush as an herbaceous perennial rather than a shrub. 

    Blooms on butterfly bushes can be purple, pink, white, or red, usually with an orange throat in the center. Grow this shrub in zones 5 to 10. It can be invasive in some areas, including the Pacific Northwest. A new cultivar, 'Blue Chip,' is touted as a non-invasive alternative.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Flower Color Varieties: Purple, pink, blue, white, yellow
    • Light: Full
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained soil
    • Mature Size: 3–12 ft. tall, 3-8-ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
  • 12 of 19

    Rhododendron

    Rhododendron shrub with light purple flowers clustered on tall branches

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Catawba rhododendron shrubs (Rhododendron catawbiense) are broadleaf evergreen bushes with dark-green, leathery foliage. They bear spectacular flowers in the spring that are effective for attracting hummingbirds. This rhododendron shrub is easy to transplant, but, like other rhododendrons, it does require acidic soil.

    It grows best in zones 4 to 8 and in partial shade. Blooms can be white, lavender, rose, or red, which hummingbirds love. Catawba can reach a height of 6 to 8 feet, with a spread of 4 to 6 feet.

    The 'Red Walloper' cultivar is a bigger rhododendron, named for its extensive, reddish-pink flower heads. It becomes 10 feet by 10 feet and takes full sun to partial shade. It isn't as hardy as Catawba, suited only to zones 7 to 9. A rhododendron display is most effective when bushes are massed together.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
    • Flower Color Varieties: White, lavender, rose, or red
    • Light: Partial sun to full shade
    • Soil Needs: Fertile, well-drained; acidic
    • Mature Size: 6-8 ft. tall, 4-6 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant: No

    Warning

    Rhododendron is toxic to people, dogs, cats, and other pets.

    Continue to 13 of 19 below
  • 13 of 19

    Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)

    Rose of Sharon plant with large orange flower and single pistil

    The Spruce / Autumn Wood

    Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a late-blooming shrub with an upright growing habit that can reach a height of 8 to 10 feet with a spread of 4 to 6 feet. These bushes profit from pruning and do their best in full sun. Blooms can be red, pink, purple, blue, or white. They work well in shrub borders in zones 5 to 9.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
    • Flower Color Varieties: Pink, purple, lavender, red, blue, white; often with dark throats
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained; acidic
    • Mature Size: 8–12 ft. tall, 6–10 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant: Somewhat
  • 14 of 19

    Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)

    Trumpet vine flowers with orange trumpet-shaped petals closeup

    The Spruce / David Beaulieu

    Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) produces orange or reddish-orange to salmon flowers throughout most summer months in zones 4 to 9. It does best in full sun to partial shade. Provide this 40-foot-tall vine with an arbor, trellis, or fence, and let it climb. This vigorous vine must be pruned back to keep it "within bounds." Indeed, even in the southeastern U.S. (to which it is native), this vine is sometimes considered a weed. It may be too aggressive or invasive for many gardeners, so do not grow it if you do not want it popping up all over your yard.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
    • Flower Color Varieties: Orange, red, yellow
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Average, moist but well-drained
    • Mature Size: 25–40 ft. long, 5–10 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant: No
  • 15 of 19

    Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.)

    Common honeysuckle plant with tubular pink, yellow and orange flowers on vine-like branches

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Honeysuckle vines can be grown in full sun to partial shade. Magnifica honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens 'Magnifica'), with its large, scarlet flowers that attract hummingbirds, can be grown in zones 3 to 9. Unlike the trumpet vine, this 10-to-20-foot plant is a true creeper, meaning more maintenance is required to climb a trellis, achieving the best display. Some species of honeysuckle are invasive, so be mindful when choosing one for your garden.

    Lonicera sempervirens is sometimes called "trumpet honeysuckle," so do not confuse it with trumpet vine. Both may have "trumpet" in their common names, but as you can see from their scientific names, they are two distinct plants. Hall's Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica 'Halliana'; zones 4 to 9) is a 15-foot-tall vine hardy to zone 5 valued for its tricolored (yellow, orange, red) floral show.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9 (varies by species)
    • Flower Color Varieties: Yellow, pink, peach, red, and creamy white
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Rich, moist, well-drained
    • Mature Size: Up to 25 feet (some species)
    • Deer Resistant: Depends on the species
  • 16 of 19

    Cardinal Climber (Ipomoea x multifida)

    Cardinal Climber Vine

    The Spruce / Marie Ianotti

    As its name suggests, the cardinal climber (Ipomoea x multifida) has a striking red bloom. This 6-to-15-foot vine must be treated as an annual north of zone 6. Grow it in full sun.

    A more commonly grown plant in the same genus that attracts hummingbirds is Ipomoea tricolor 'Heavenly Blue.' The latter is the annual vines famous for bearing those wonderfully sky-blue flowers on vines 10 feet tall.

    Do not confuse cardinal vine with "cardinal flower" (Lobelia cardinalis), a perennial (zones 2 to 7) that also attracts hummingbirds. Because it likes moist soil, Lobelia cardinalis is an excellent choice for the rim of a water garden. It reaches 2 to 4 feet tall, with a spread half that.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 12
    • Flower Color Varieties: Red
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
    • Mature Size: 6-15 ft. long, 9-2 in. wide
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
    Continue to 17 of 19 below
  • 17 of 19

    Lantana (Lantana camara)

    Lantana plant with tiny flower clusters with yellow, bright pink and red petals

    The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

    Lantana plants (Lantana camara) are perennials in zones 8 to 10, where they become 6 feet tall, with a spread of 8 feet. But, in colder climates, Lantana plants are often used as annuals for hanging baskets and stay much smaller. The 'Spreading Sunset' cultivar has a flower head with gold centers surrounded by an orange that later fades to pink. Like most of the entries on the list, these plants are sun lovers.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 11
    • Flower Color Varieties: Red, orange, yellow, blue, white, pink
    • Light: Full
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
    • Mature Size: 6 ft. high and wide
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
  • 18 of 19

    Fuchsia (Fuchsia spp.)

    Fuchsia plant with bright pink and purple bicolored flowers and buds on stems closeup

    The Spruce / Kara Riley

    Another hummingbird magnet commonly found in hanging baskets in the North is Fuchsia. Unlike Lantana, this one should be grown in the shade. It is even more tender than Lantana (zone 10 or 11). Flower color is commonly pink, purple, red, white, or violet and the most popular types have bi-colored flowers. It is shrubby and becomes 1 to 2 feet tall and wide.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 11
    • Flower Color Varieties: Red, pink, white, violet, purple
    • Light: Partial, shade
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 1 to 2 ft. tall, with a similar spread
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
  • 19 of 19

    Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin)

    Persian silk tree with pink flower and fern-like leaf closeup

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    A tree that attracts hummingbirds is the silk tree, or "mimosa" (Albizia julibrissin). It's a member of the pea family. This vigorous Chinese exotic quickly naturalizes at the southern end of its range in areas. It is considered an invasive plant in the southeastern U.S. Its puffy, pink flowers are aromatic, and its nectar attracts hummingbirds in zones 6 to 9. It stands 20 to 40 feet with a canopy as wide as 50 feet. Locate this tree in full sun to partial shade.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9 
    • Flower Color Varieties: Pink
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 20-40 ft. tall, 20-50 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant: Yes

More Info on Landscaping With Plants for Hummingbirds

When drawing a landscape plan to determine what goes where in a new landscape layout, landscape designers divide the property into "activity zones." In this case, the activity zones will focus on viewing hummingbirds as they feed on nectar. A diverse group of plant types serves different functions:

  • Vines: The vine plants selected should be allowed to grow on arbors for the best impact. Position the arbor so you can watch the hummingbirds from a window inside your home.
  • Shrubs: Mass the shrub plants in a border or on a landscaping berm to form sheltered areas. Breaking up a large, flat expanse is important, not only for visual effect but particularly when trying to attract secretive wildlife.
  • Hanging plants: Sketch a patio into your plan to house the hanging plants selected. If your patio is shaded, use fuchsia hangers, not lantana. Combining patios with pergolas or arbors is often convenient since the latter will give you a place to hang your patio's plants.
  • Flower bed and hardscape: Perennial flower beds are the finishing touch to be implemented at the end. Work on hardscape elements first, such as arbors and patios, then plant larger plants, such as trees or shrubs.

Tip

Heavy yard work—even if only in the vicinity—puts fragile plants at risk of damage. Plant your most delicate plants last.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Poison Control - National Capital Poison Center. “Poisonous and Non-Poisonous Plants.” Poison.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 

  2. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “Rhododendron.” Aspca.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 

  3. Invasive Exotic Shrub Honeysuckles. United States Department of Agriculture.