24 Hummingbird Flowers to Attract Pollinators to Your Yard

When you start to design your garden or landscape, you should consider including hummingbird flowers. They’re bright, cheerful, and they can produce large flowers throughout the spring and summer months. They come in a large range of colors, shapes, and styles that can fill in your landscape and line up as excellent walkway edging plants. As a bonus, many hummingbird flowers have a sweet scent that draws pollinators to your yard like bees, and they can fill the air as you go out and enjoy the warm months. Many of them are great for novice gardeners because they’re not difficult to maintain.

If you’ve never heard of hummingbird flowers before, or you want more variety to add to your landscape, this is for you. I’ve picked out several bright and cheerful hummingbird flowers you can plant around your yard. Some of them are larger bush-type plants, and many of them fit nicely in containers. Whatever design aesthetic you want, there are hummingbird flowers available for you. You can take a look at the list, mix and match them, and get a thriving garden all season long. 

1. Trumpet Honeysuckle

The first hummingbird flower on the list is Trumpet Honeysuckle, and this is a plant that is native to the eastern portion of the United States. Ruby-throated hummingbirds love this plant, and it has bright clusters of orange and red flowers to attract the birds. It’s not an aggressive plant, and it won’t take over the area or any surrounding plants. It grows best in zones three to nine, and it’s a perennial that will come back time and time again. The flowers will bloom from May to June, and it does well in partial shade or full sun. The soil should be rich but drain very well, and you don’t have to trim it. 

1 Trumpet Honeysuckle
Trumpet Honeysuckle by beautifulcataya / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

2. Bee Balm

This is a smaller perennial hummingbird flower, and it’ll bring bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your yard. Bee Balm is native to the Pacific Northwest and eastern North America. There are currently over 50 cultivars on the market, and they come in many different colors. It’s deer and drought-resistant to make it very durable and hardy. It grows best in zones four to nine, and it can get up to four feet tall and three feet wide. It blooms from July to September, and it likes full sun. However, it will grow in partial shade but the flower colors may be slightly muted.
2 Bee Balm
Bee Balm by Rich Hubbard / CC BY 2.0

3. Lupine

This hummingbird plant features spiky, long flowers that add height to your landscape. There are several different cultivars and species available, and hummingbirds are attracted to each one. They grow best in zones four to nine, and they are perennials that come back year after year. Some can get up to three feet tall and wide, and they usually bloom from May to July. They need part shade or full sun to flourish, and they like well-drained but rich soil. Make a point to water them regularly, and enjoy the deep purple coloring on the flowers. They have deep green foliage that the flowers sit on top of.
3 Lupine
Lupine by Pauline Rosenberg / CC BY-NC 2.0

4. Salvia

Sage is the common name for any hummingbird plant that falls under the Salvia genus. There are hundreds of different species available on the current market, and many attract a host of pollinators like bees to your garden. It comes in different colors and sizes, and some are annuals while others are perennials. Many of these plants are native to the United States, but there are cultivars that are native to the Mediterrean. Depending on the cultivar you get, most of them like full sun to partial shade. You should water them regularly to keep them happy, and you want to make sure that the soil drains very well between watering sessions. 

4 Salvia
Salvia by Pablo Leautaud / CC BY-NC 2.0

5. Columbine

This hummingbird flower is another that is native to North America, and it has a very unique look that makes it popular with gardners. It produces larger flowers that usually bloom in May and continue through July, and it’s an early bloomer. Insects have a difficult time getting to the nectar, so this is exclusively for hummingbirds. They grow best planted in zones three to eight, and this is a perennial that will come back year after year. It can get up to three feet all at full maturity, and it grows very well in partial or full shade. You can grow it in full sun, but you’ll have to provide a lot of water if you do so to prevent it from drying out. Make sure that the soil is very rich but drains well. 

5 Columbine
Columbine by Art G. / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

6. Rhododendron

This hummingbird flower is a very common type of bush that is great for filling in large gaps in your landscaping design. It grows best in USDA zones four to eight, and it’ll start to bloom at the end of May. There are over a thousand species of this plant in existence, and many of them come from Asia. You get stunning dark green foliage all year, and the flowers come in shades of pink, white, and blue. It can survive cold winters and it’s very hardy. It can get up to 10 feet tall by 10 feet wide at full maturity, and it’s a perennial. It’ll grow well in partial shade, but it can handle more sun if you give them plenty of moisture. If you make the soil more acidic, it can impact the flower colors. 

6 Rhododendrons
Rhododendrons by Peter Miller / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

7. Red Cardinal Flower

This hummingbird flower is a great pick if you want to have something that blooms later in the season to carry the colors into fall. The Red Cardinal Flower doesn’t start blooming until the middle of summer, but it provides vibrant, tubular red flowers. The flowers are too long for most insects to get at the nectar, so it relies on hummingbirds. It grows best as a perennial in zones three to nine, and it can get three feet tall and wide under the correct growing conditions. This plant likes partial shade, and it can grow in the sun but it can stunt the growth and make the flowers look less vibrant unless you give it a lot of water. 

7 Red Cardinal Flower
Cardinal Flower by DM / CC BY-ND 2.0

8. Lily

There are several different types of lilies available like the Asiatic Lily, and true lilies have beautiful, large flowers that grow from bulbs. These are show-stopping flowers that give you bursts of colors, and hummingbirds adore these plants. These hummingbird plants bloom in June and July, and they can grow between three and eight feet high, depending on the cultivar you have. They like to be in a place that will get full sun, and they can stand partial shade. They like the soil to be very rich but well-draining, and they make gorgeous additions to your cut flower bouquets. A lot of lilies have a very strong scent.
8 Lily
Lily by Jim Liestman / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

9. Trumpet Vine

This hummingbird plant is actually a vine that is native to the southeastern portion of the United States. It has a reputation for being a very aggressive grower, and it can easily take over any plants or areas around it if you don’t keep it cut back. It can get so big that birds often create nests in the dense foliage, and it can get up to 40-feet high. It grows best in zones four to nine, and it’s a perennial that will come back year after year. It takes a year or two after you plant it before it displays flowers, but it has dark green foliage with bright red flowers that stand out. It likes full sun and well-drained soil. 

9 Trumpet Flower
Trumpet Vine by Linda De Volder / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

10. Weigela

The Weigela is a long-lasting bush that makes an excellent all-season hummingbird flower. It has early summer blooms that cover the entire shrub in shades of red and pale pink. The foliage can be gold, green plum, or variegated. There are larger varieties available, but you can find compact cultivars to fit in your smaller areas. It does best when you plant it in an area that gets full sunlight for several hours a day, and it does well in average soil. As a bonus, this plant is resistant to deer and drought-tolerant. It does best in zones four to eight, and it’ll get between two and six feet tall and three to five feet wide. 

10 Weigela
Weigela blossoms by normanack / CC BY 2.0

11. Cypress Vine

For colder climates, this hummingbird flower does well as an annual. In warmer climates, it’s a reseeding perennial, and the southeastern portion of the United States considers it an invasive weed. It has feathery, delicate foliage with star-shaped flowers that come in a deep red hue to attract the hummingbirds. It grows well in zones 6 to 10, and you want to train this fast-growing vine to run up a trellis to stop it from overtaking and choking out any plants around it. It needs rich but well-draining soil with full sun to grow best, and it’s resistant to deer. It can get 10 to 15-feet tall and between 6 and 10-feet wide, so you do need a larger space for it. 

11 Cypress Vine
Cypress vine by Elizabeth / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

12. Catmint

Not to be confused with catnip, this hummingbird flower has a lot to offer when you plant it. It gives you blooms that start in the early spring and go until fall, and it’s deer-resistant. This plant will also tolerate drought without a problem, and it offers foliage with a light floral scent. It produces tiny lavender-hued flowers on a long flower spike, and it’s very dense. There are taller varieties available, and you should give them a light trim after they bloom. In the fall, cut them down to the ground. They grow well in zones three to eight, and they can get up to three feet tall by two feet wide. 

12 Catmint
Catmint by Gail Langellotto / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

13. Garden Phlox

You’ll find this hummingbird flower in a lot of classic cottage gardens. It offers very tall stems that can get up to four feet high, and it offers fragrant flowers. It can grow three feet wide, so you do want to give it a little room to spread out. It grows well in zones four to eight, and florists use these smaller flowers to fill in bouquets. There are also compact versions available that work well in containers. You want to divide the clumps every few years to keep them growing, and look for varieties that are resistant to mildew. It likes a well-draining and slightly loamy soil with full sun to partial shade.
13 Garden Phlox
Phlox by Rosana Prada / CC BY 2.0

14. Petunia

Petunias are hummingbird flowers that do well in hanging baskets, and it is one of the most popular annual flowers with gardeners. They have trumpet-shaped, large blooms that make them a favorite with bees and hummingbirds. They come in a huge range of colors from black to white, and you can get spotted, speckled, or striped. They also come in single and double flowers. You should trim them back in the middle of summer to prevent them from looking leggy. You should water and fertilize them regularly, and put them in a place that gets full sun to partial shade. They can get up to 10-inches tall and 30-inches wide under the correct conditions, and they look nice spilling over the edge of planters.
14 Pentunias
Petunias by Karen / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

15. Million Bells

If you want the same vibrant colors you’ll get with petunias but even less maintenance, try this hummingbird flower. Million Bells are better known as Calibrachoa, and they come in several bright and vibrant colors. You can get single or double flower forms, and you won’t have to deadhead them after they bloom. They’re hardy, and they’ll withstand rain and poor soil conditions. You can have trailing or compact varieties, and this annual grows in several zones. They can get up to 30 inches wide and 8 inches tall, and you get light green foliage to help offset the flower colors even more. You also won’t have to cut them back because they don’t take over the surrounding plants. 

15 Million Bells
Pink Bell with Drops by Chris Sorge / CC BY-SA 2.0

16. Esperanza 

This is a bright hummingbird flower that is also a deer-resistant shrub. You can use it for boundary planting or screening, and it’s native to South America and the southern portion of the United States. This is a very large plant that can get up to 20-feet wide by 25-feet tall, so make sure you give it plenty of room unless you buy a compact cultivar. It grows well in zones 8 to 11, and there are several hybrids available. You can choose from apricot, yellow, or orange blooms, and it blooms from spring to fall. You’ll have to water these shrubs regularly, and they need to be in full sun. Cut back the branches that have a few buds in the spring to help control the size. 

16 Esperanza
Tecoma stans by Linda De Volder / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

17. Oregon Grape

These are very early-blooming hummingbird flowers, and gardeners in the Pacific Northwest may even see hummingbirds overwintering in the dense foliage. They are an important food source for the hummingbirds, and it’s an evergreen shrub that has holly-esque leaves with yellow clusters of flowers. The flowers bloom during the winter before giving way to edible blue berries in the spring and summer months. They do well in dry soil in partial shade, and they work as tall specimen plants or groundcover. They grow well in zones 5 to 11, and they can get anywhere from 1 foot to 10 feet tall and two to eight feet wide. 

17 Oregon Grape
Oregon grape by Kirill Ignatyev / CC BY-NC 2.0

18. Fuschia

This hummingbird flower is a very pretty flowering shrub that is very easy to maintain. Fuschia are frost-hardy, and they grow best in zones 6 to 10. They add a bright and vibrant color to a shady courtyard or woodland garden, and you can pick out ones that have golden-yellow foliage. If you don’t, you’ll get deeper green foliage that is very dense. The flowers are bi-colored and hang down, and popular colors are purple, pink, or white. They grow between two and six feet tall and wide, and they like more shade than sun. You will want to protect the crown with straw, compost, or mulch during the winter to encourage strong growth in the spring again. 

18 Fuschia
Fuschia by Matt / CC BY-SA 2.0

19. Flowering Quince

This hummingbird plant makes a big statement in the early spring months because it blooms very early. Each branch on this plant gets studded with large clusters of small blooms that look like roses. This is a larger, thorny shrub that can grow between four and eight feet tall and three to eight feet wide. There are also most compact and thornless varieties available, and you should cut a few branches when the buds begin to swell to create a spring bouquet. They grow well in zones five to nine, and the flowers have coloring that ranges from deep crimson to pale pink or white. They like full sun to partial shade, and they’re very low maintenance once they establish themselves. 

19 Flowering Quince
Flowering Quince by liz west / CC BY 2.0

20. Beardtongue 

This hummingbird flower is a long-blooming perennial that is a fan favorite for many garden designs. It does very well in xeriscaping, cottage gardens, prairie setups, and rock gardens. It comes in several colors, sizes, and shapes that allow you to tailor your pick to your needs. It can get between 1 ½ and four feet tall by 1 ½ to three feet wide at full maturity, and it does very well planted outside in zones three to nine. You’ll get evergreen foliage that adds interest all year round, and the flowers are purple, orange, red, or blue in tubular shapes on spikes. Some species are more cold-hardy than others.
20 Beardtongue
Large Beardtongue by Brett Whaley / CC BY-NC 2.0

21. Daylily

The showy trumpet-shaped blooms on this hummingbird flower make it a standout in many garden or landscape designs. They start blooming early in spring to kick off the color show in your area, and you can get compact forms to line the walkways, or they come in larger varieties that work well at the back of your design as a border. They grow well in zones three to nine, and they can get up to six feet tall by two feet wide. Some will repeat bloom throughout the season until the fall months, and you can find varieties that are very fragrant. Every flower will only bloom once and last for a day, but it puts out dozens of flowers throughout the season. Put it in a spot with full sun and make sure that the soil drains well.  

21 Daylily
Daylilies by Renee Grayson / CC BY 2.0

22. Agastache

Agastache is a hummingbird plant that is low-maintenance and hard to kill, and this makes it popular for busy gardeners. It’s deer-resistant, rabbit-resistant, drought-tolerant, and aromatic. This herbaceous perennial loves full sun and well-draining soil, and it’s extremely hardy. Smaller cultivars do well in hanging baskets, and bigger cultivars can hold their own when you plant them alongside coneflowers and grasses in prairie gardens. You can get pink, blue, orange, yellow, or red flowers, and you’ll have to stake taller varieties to prevent them from snapping. They do well in zones five to nine, and they can get up to 54-inches tall by 30-inches wide. Avoid heavy mulching and overwatering to keep them happy. 

22 Agastache
Agastache by Lotus Johnson / CC BY-NC 2.0

23. Gayfeather

Also called Blazing Star, this hummingbird flower is a bottle-brush variety that produces tall spikes of flowers that tower over the foliage. The flowers come in white or violet, and they add height and texture to your landscape design. They have finely textured grassy foliage in bright green, and this provides interesting contrast to traditional broad leaves. It does well in zones three to nine to full sun conditions, and it makes a very nice cut flower. Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds enjoy it, and deer avoid it. It can get up to 30-inches tall by 12-inches wide, and it works well as a border plant. 

23 Gayfeather
Gayfeather by Loren Owensby / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

24. Lungwort

If you’re looking for a hummingbird flower that works well as ground cover for shady areas, look at Lungwort. You should plant several clumps close together, and they are one of the first perennials to offer blooms with nectar for your hummingbirds. They have sturdy stems that have small clusters of blue, pink, or white flowers, and the foliage is an eye-catching silver spotted with green. Once they bloom, you want to cut them back to help prevent issues with mildew and ensure they come back. They prefer shade but they can stand some sun with more moisture. They grow best in zones three to eight, and they get up to a foot tall by 18 inches wide.
24 Lungwort
Lungwort by normanack / CC BY 2.0

Bottom Line

These 24 hummingbird flowers will add color and interest to your space. They work well in both large and small landscape designs, containers, or gardens. You can mix and match them to get blooms starting in early spring until late fall, and some are evergreens that offer points of interest throughout the winter months. With a little care, these hummingbird flowers will attract pollinators to your yard all season long.

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