Perennials for Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are a favorite visitor to our gardens. Regions along the Pacific coast through Arizona, along the Gulf coast, and into the southeast can sometimes see these vibrant, fast, and feisty visitors all season long. For many of us, they are a sure sign of warmer months with their spring arrival. What we plant in our gardens may determine if we see hummingbirds and if they stick around to build a nest.
Below is a table to help guide what native plants will support hummingbirds. Scroll down to alphabetically find your state or province and three options of plants you can consider adding. There are recommendations for containers, sunny, and shady spots. The ideal soil conditions for these plant species can be found using Lady Bird Johnson’s Wildflower Guide.
We focused on easy to find perennial plants for this collection, but there are a variety of shrubs that also provide nectar sources for hummingbirds and other pollinators. This list is not exhaustive and there are many other native perennials that will support hummingbirds. These options are easy to grow and good resources to have available.
Hummingbirds are generally not found on the Hawaiian Islands and in Nunavut, Canada, so they are not included in this spreadsheet.
Quick Word on Feeders
While many people delight in having hummingbird feeders, we encourage hummingbird lovers to add some native plant sources into your offerings. Hummingbird feeders require regular maintenance to be kept free of contaminants. Having a diversity of plants with different flowering times potentially allows us to feed hummingbirds in our yards throughout the growing season.
Also, make sure to practice the following:
- Avoid using red dye solutions in feeders. This is an additive that birds should not be exposed to. Use a 1×4 solution of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. (Example: 1 cup sugar, 4 cups water)
- Clean feeders and change solution once every 3-5 days depending on the reigon and temperature. The warmer the weather the more frequent the cleaning.
- Hang feeders in safe places where hummers are unlikely to be threatened by predators and when appropriate, install predator guards on poles that feeders are hanging on to minimize predation from below.
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