Hummingbirds especially love orange or red flowers that are tubular in shape, but they'll visit many different kinds of every color and size. Annuals, perennials, and evergreen shrubs all attract these winged wonders, because they're the best pollinator plants that also attract butterflies and bees.
Knowing that hummingbird species composition and flower abundance change seasonally, the research took place over the span of a year. The observations showed that hummingbirds visit feeders less frequently when there are more flowers in the area.
What flowers do hummingbirds like? Hummingbirds are primarily attracted to long tubular flowers that are red, but are frequently seen visiting other flowers with bright colors that are orange, yellow, purple, or even blue, giving you plenty to choose from.
Hummers can hover; therefore, they have little need for flattened flowers with landing platforms (sunflowers). They prefer long, tubular flowers (penstemon or honeysuckle). Flowers use scents to attract insect pollinators. Since hummingbirds don't have a good sense of smell, hummingbird flowers are often unscented.
However, cultivated petunias aren't as nectar-rich as some native plants, so if you only fill your garden with petunias, then the hummingbirds might select gardens nearby offering a wider range of blooms.
Brightly-colored flowers that are tubular tend to produce the most nectar, and are particularly attractive to hummingbirds. These include perennials such as bee balms, columbines, daylilies, and lupines; biennials such as foxgloves and hollyhocks; and many annuals, including cleomes, impatiens, and petunias.
Hummingbirds have a poor sense of smell, but excellent vision. Their sight is particularly acute in the red end of the spectrum, which suggests why they are attracted to red flowers such as bee balm, cardinal flower, geraniums, honeysuckle, Canadian columbine and trumpet vine.
Many popular flowers that gardeners love just don't do it for the hummers! Either due to low nectar content, lackluster color, or other factors, hummingbirds are not usually attracted to: roses, tulips, marigolds, irises, lilacs, lilies, sunflowers, daffodils, gardenias, or peonies.
Hummingbirds are picky eaters. They want fresh, flavorful nectar, so tease their taste buds with new, clean, nectar in order to win their favor. Make sure to replace your hummingbird food often, even when it's not low.
Goldfinches, warblers, cardinals, and hummingbirds love yellow. Some posit that the color is a strong attractor because the bright color is easy to see even in the dark. It's also a favorite hue for bee and butterfly gardens, as it's known to attract these pollinators.
Other Favorites of Hummingbirds
Other landing and feeding spots include (depending on the season) dozens of Azaleas, Pansies, Impatiens, Knockout Roses, Creeping Phlox, Daffodils, Hydrangeas, Portulaca and Gladiolas.
Studies have shown that hummingbirds can remember migration routes and every flower they've ever visited. They can also figure out how long to wait between visits so the flowers have time to generate more nectar. They can even recognize humans!
You can hang multiple hummingbird feeders in your yard or garden. What is this? Because of the territorial nature of hummingbirds, though, it is a good idea to separate the feeders from each other. This way, the birds won't spend time going on the attack or trying to protect their own territory.
If you are hanging your feeders, make sure they are at least 10-12 feet away from the window so the hummingbirds don't crash into the glass. You also don't want to hang them directly over bushy areas. They need a lot of room to dance and maneuver around your feeders.
Hummingbirds are hypervigilant observers of their available food sources. They examine and gather information from their environment and instantly notice who is refilling their feeders. They become extremely familiar with your presence and eagerly await your arrival of a fresh batch of homemade nectar.
Some hummingbird experts rank cats as the main hummingbird predator in the U.S. If that comes as a surprise, you might raise your eyebrows a little higher when I tell you that second place goes to the Chinese mantis.
The hummingbirds avoided the smells associated with ants, particularly the formic acid. Interestingly the birds didn't react at all to the honeybee smell, which the insects usually use to stop other bees from visiting flowers.
Hummingbirds are little creatures, so they are wary of any loud noises. Loud music, children, or barking dogs can all scare them away. If you want to provide a safe haven for them, keep noise to a low and see if that does the trick.
Even more, most hostas bloom for up to a month or more, giving hummingbirds an extended source of food throughout the summer months. The long blooms of the hosta plant are easy for hummingbirds to work. With their long bloom time, a hosta plant can help feed hummingbirds for a large portion of the summer.
Actually, forget the roses… hummers aren't the biggest fans. Because they have a very poor sense of smell, hummingbirds prefer flowering plants that do not have a strong fragrance. Plant trumpet-shaped flowers that are red, orange, or pink in color.
While all types of petunia plants will attract hummingbirds, one particularly nectar-rich variety is the Double Wave Blue Velvet petunia. The blue color is very striking and will really stand out in your garden. What is this? Otherwise, any variety that is red in color is sure to catch the eye of a passing hummingbird.
Hummingbirds are most attracted to bright flowers that are rich in nectar, and marigolds don't top the charts when it comes to nectar production. What is this? Furthermore, while marigolds do produce some nectar, they don't have a flower shape suited to these birds.
Hummingbirds Like to Visit. The red color and tubular shape are the main criteria we're working with! Luckily, there are plenty of gorgeous flowers that fall within that category, and they're easy to grow here in California.