Picture this: You’re sipping your morning coffee when suddenly a flash of emerald and ruby darts past your window, hovering like a tiny helicopter at your neighbor’s flower garden. That magical moment when you first spot a hummingbird can be absolutely breathtaking. These miniature marvels are nature’s ultimate acrobats, beating their wings up to eighty times per second and capable of flying backwards, forwards, and even upside down. If you’re keen on making your garden a hummingbird paradise, then consider planting these 25 flowering plants Hummingbirds Can’t Resist
But here’s what most people don’t realize – creating your own hummingbird paradise isn’t just about hanging up a feeder and hoping for the best. These tiny powerhouses must eat at least half their body weight each day to replace the calories they burn, eating almost constantly from sunrise to sunset and visiting over a thousand flowers every day. The secret lies in planting the right flowers that offer the kind of high-energy nectar these incredible birds crave.
Whether you’ve got a sprawling backyard or just a small balcony, you can transform your space into a hummingbird highway. From vibrant salvias that’ll have them fighting for space to elegant trumpet vines that create natural landing strips, we’re about to explore twenty-five spectacular blooms that’ll turn your garden into the neighborhood’s hottest hummingbird hangout. Get ready to discover flowers so irresistible that you’ll have hummingbirds queuing up like it’s their favorite coffee shop.
#25 Bee Balm – The Ultimate Hummingbird Magnet
For a surefire way to attract hummingbirds with flowers, grow bee balm. This beauty grows up to 4 feet tall in full sun and starts flowering in midsummer. Whether you choose natives or cultivated varieties, the birds can’t resist the nectar-rich blooms. The spiky, crown-like flowers come in brilliant shades of red, pink, purple, and white, creating what looks like natural fireworks in your garden.
Bee balm needs sun, moist soil, and plenty of air circulation to ward off powdery mildew. This member of the mint family spreads readily, so you’ll want to divide it every few years to keep it from taking over your entire garden. The payoff is worth it though – once established, bee balm becomes a hummingbird feeding station that’ll keep buzzing with activity from mid-summer through early fall.
#24 Salvia – The Hummingbird’s Best Friend
Yet one thing most salvia species have in common is: hummingbirds adore them. In our garden, salvia flowers attract hummingbirds more than any other plant! It is their clear favorite. With thousands of varieties available, salvias offer something for every garden situation, from compact border plants to towering shrubs that create dramatic backdrops.
Salvias have colorful tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds. The hummingbird’s long beak and tongue allow it to easily reach the nectar in the back of a salvia flower. What makes salvias particularly special is their long blooming period – many varieties flower continuously from spring until the first frost, providing a reliable nectar source throughout the hummingbird season. Plant a mix of different salvia varieties to create a rainbow of colors that’ll keep hummingbirds coming back for more.
#23 Cardinal Flower – Nature’s Red Carpet
This striking, native wildflower features brilliant red, tubular flowers that are highly attractive to hummingbirds. The plant prefers moist soil and can be found growing along streams and in wetlands. The intense scarlet blooms stand tall on sturdy stems, creating vertical columns of color that seem to glow in late summer gardens.
For the best results with the Cardinal flower, keep the soil consistently moist. This native beauty appreciates partial shade in hot climates and can handle full sun in cooler regions. Cardinal flowers are short-lived perennials, but they readily self-seed, ensuring new generations will continue to grace your garden. The dramatic blooms appear just when many other flowers are starting to fade, making them particularly valuable for late-season hummingbird feeding.
#22 Trumpet Vine – The Climbing Champion
This vigorous, climbing vine produces large, trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of orange, red, or yellow. The tubular flowers are filled with nectar, making them a popular choice for hummingbirds. Trumpet vine creates a spectacular display when allowed to climb fences, arbors, or pergolas, transforming vertical spaces into hummingbird feeding stations.
This enthusiastic climber can reach impressive heights quickly, typically growing several feet in a single season. While some gardeners consider trumpet vine aggressive, proper pruning in late winter keeps it under control while maximizing flowering. The vine produces clusters of three-inch trumpet-shaped blooms that are perfectly sized for hummingbird beaks, and the flowers appear continuously from mid-summer through fall, providing weeks of reliable nectar.
#21 Fuchsia – The Elegant Dangler
The amazing, summer-blooming fuchsia is a must-have. The dangling, teardrop-shaped flowers in shades of pink, purple, and red are hummingbird-approved! Fuchsia loves to grow in partial shade with consistently moist soil. These distinctive flowers hang like delicate earrings from arching branches, creating a graceful display that’s irresistible to hovering hummingbirds.
If you can find a fuchsia hanging basket at the garden center this spring – grab it! Your hummingbirds will thank you. These flowering nectar plants grow well in partial shade, so don’t worry if you don’t have an open sunny spot in your yard. Fuchsias are particularly well-suited to hanging baskets and containers, making them perfect for patios, porches, or anywhere you want to create a hummingbird viewing station at eye level.
#20 Penstemon – The Beardtongue Beauty
Penstemon, also known as “Beardtongue,” is another fantastic choice for attracting hummingbirds to your garden. With its tubular and nectar-rich flowers, Penstemon provides an irresistible treat for these tiny pollinators. The tall flower spikes come in a rainbow of colors including purple, pink, red, and white, with some varieties reaching four feet in height.
Thriving in sunny conditions, penstemons have tube-shaped flowers that are jam-packed with nectar, making them attractive to hummingbirds and other pollinators. Typically, penstemons offer an early-season source of nectar, but some will bloom or rebloom in late summer. These drought-tolerant perennials are particularly valuable in western gardens, where they’re native and perfectly adapted to local conditions.
#19 Lantana – The Heat-Loving Crowd-Pleaser
Hummingbirds are attracted to the colorful flowers of the Lantana plant. This heat-loving plant boasts clusters of small, tubular flowers that come in a rainbow of colors. The Lantana thrives in hot areas with minimal watering. The flower clusters are composed of dozens of tiny individual blooms, creating a dense landing pad of nectar that hummingbirds absolutely love.
Meet the lantana, a hummingbird favorite that’s not just pretty but also super practical! Lantanas are tough cookies too – they can handle dry spells like champs, making them super easy to care for. These colorful, tri-toned beauties are perfect for warmer climates as they thrive in hot, sunny conditions. The flowers often display multiple colors within the same cluster, creating a spectacular multicolored effect that catches both hummingbird and human attention.
#18 Coral Bells – The Delicate Charmer
Coral bells are shade-loving perennials with wide, colorful leaves, but it’s the nectar in their tiny, bell-shaped flowers that attracts hummingbirds. If you’d like a Western native species, look for Sandia coral bells. The airy flower spikes rise above attractive foliage that ranges from deep burgundy to bright chartreuse, making coral bells valuable for both flowers and foliage.
These versatile perennials are particularly useful for partially shaded areas where many other hummingbird flowers struggle. The delicate bell-shaped flowers appear on tall, wiry stems that dance in the slightest breeze, creating movement that catches hummingbird attention. While the individual flowers are small, they’re packed with nectar and appear in such abundance that they create a reliable feeding source throughout their blooming period.
#17 Agastache – The Fragrant Favorite
Like Bee Balm, agastache is another non-invasive beautiful member of the mint family. Agastache produces long-blooming tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds from far and wide. So much so that agastache often goes by the common name ‘hummingbird mint’. The flower spikes have a unique bottlebrush appearance and release a pleasant anise or mint fragrance when touched.
Also known as hyssop or hummingbird mint, agastache is a genus of perennials with tubular flowers in shades of blue, purple, pink, or orange. The plants are not only attractive to hummingbirds but also emit a pleasant fragrance that adds another dimension to the garden. Agastache is drought-tolerant, making it suitable for xeriscaping or low-water-use gardens. This makes agastache perfect for water-wise gardens where other nectar plants might struggle.
#16 Petunias – The Container Champions
Perhaps the most popular annual with gardeners, these are also a favorite of hummingbirds and bees with their large, trumpet-shaped blooms. The wide, flared flowers come in nearly every color imaginable, from deep purples and bright pinks to soft pastels and crisp whites, making them incredibly versatile for any garden color scheme.
Common yet effective, petunias are a great choice for hanging baskets and window boxes. Their trumpet-like flowers are a great nectar source for hummingbirds. Water these consistently and remove faded blooms for the best results. Modern petunia varieties bloom continuously from spring until frost with minimal care, making them reliable performers in containers and garden beds alike.
#15 Honeysuckle – The Sweet Climber
Not all honeysuckles are hummingbird-friendly, but the coral and trumpet honeysuckle varieties are excellent choices. Their sweet fragrance and long-lasting blooms make them a favorite for bees and butterflies. Honeysuckles like to climb, so provide a trellis or fence for support. The tubular flowers are perfectly shaped for hummingbird beaks and release their sweetest fragrance in the evening hours.
Grow native plants like trumpet honeysuckle, bee balm, and hummingbird sage, which provide much more nectar than hybrids and exotics. Native honeysuckle varieties are particularly valuable because they’ve co-evolved with local hummingbird populations and provide superior nectar quality. The vining habit makes honeysuckle perfect for covering unsightly fences or creating natural privacy screens that double as hummingbird feeding stations.
#14 Catmint – The Long-Blooming Beauty
Catmint is easy to grow, long-blooming, heat-tolerant, and deer- and pest-resistant. After the hummingbird flowers fade, shear off the spent blooms and about a third of the stalk for a second round. Hummingbirds especially like Siberian catmint’s blue blooms. The aromatic foliage releases a pleasant mint scent when brushed against, adding sensory appeal to the garden.
Catmint has much to offer the gardener including long-lasting blooms, drought tolerance, and deer resistance, as well as aromatic foliage. Hummingbirds are also attracted to the tiny tubular lavender-blue flowers and enjoy the sheer abundance of blooms on each long flower spike. The profuse flowering continues for months, making catmint one of the most reliable nectar sources in the perennial garden.
#13 Zinnia – The Easy-Going Annual
Native to the Southwest, zinnias are one of the most popular annuals throughout the U.S. They are easy to grow from seed and will re-seed readily! Hummingbirds and other pollinators love the bright blooms. These cheerful flowers come in nearly every color except blue and true purple, with flower forms ranging from small pompoms to dinner-plate-sized blooms.
Zinnias are not only easy to grow but also a reliable nectar source for hummingbirds. Plant a mix of colors to create a stunning, pollinator-friendly display. Be sure to deadhead these regularly to promote continuous blooms. The sturdy stems and long-lasting flowers make zinnias excellent for cutting gardens, allowing you to enjoy the blooms both in the garden and indoors while still providing nectar for visiting hummingbirds.
#12 Columbine – The Spring Starter
Columbine is a spring bloomer that offers early-season nectar to hummingbirds. It prefers cooler springtime temperatures, comes in an array of colors and self-seeds readily. The distinctive spurred flowers have an almost whimsical appearance, with their backward-facing nectar spurs creating perfect feeding tubes for hummingbird beaks.
Columbines are early bloomers arriving in the spring, providing critical nectar for hummingbirds returning from migration. Their unique, bell-shaped flowers that dangle elegantly from thin stems, come in red, yellow, and pink hues. This low-maintenance perennial is an excellent choice for home gardens, thriving in partial shade and well-drained soil. The early bloom time makes columbines particularly valuable for providing fuel to returning migrant hummingbirds when few other nectar sources are available.
#11 Foxglove – The Stately Spike
This biennial plant features tall spikes of tubular, bell-shaped flowers in a range of colors. Foxgloves are particularly attractive to hummingbirds due to their nectar-rich blooms. The towering flower spikes can reach six feet in height, creating dramatic vertical elements that serve as beacons for passing hummingbirds.
The tubular flowers are arranged along the tall stems in a way that provides multiple feeding opportunities for hummingbirds at different heights. While foxgloves are biennials that complete their life cycle in two years, they self-seed so readily that established plantings seem permanent. The flowers typically appear in late spring to early summer, bridging the gap between early-season and midsummer blooms.
#10 Cardinal Climber – The Rapid Rambler
This charming heirloom plant has ferny foliage and tiny star-shaped red flowers hummingbirds love. As the name suggests, these plants are vines that can cover a trellis or fence quickly. Cardinal climbers, also called red cypress vines, grow easily from seed. The delicate, fern-like foliage creates an attractive backdrop for the brilliant red star-shaped flowers.
Planting some cardinal climbers is a fantastic way to keep your garden lively and buzzing with activity. Their abundant nectar will ensure your garden is a popular spot for these delightful visitors all season long. Get ready to enjoy the vibrant dance of colors and wings that these nectar rich flowers bring to the scene! This vigorous annual vine can quickly cover unsightly areas while providing months of continuous nectar for hummingbirds.
#9 Weigela – The Shrubby Showstopper
Early summer blooms cover the shrub in shades from palest pink to a true red, and foliage that may be variegated, green, gold, or a rich plum. This flowering shrub creates a spectacular display when in full bloom, with tubular flowers clustered along arching branches that create perfect landing spots for hummingbirds.
This flowering shrub is an easy-care addition to your hummingbird garden. Most are frost hardy and add a bold splash of color to a woodland garden or shady courtyard, especially if you select one of the varieties with golden foliage. A cold winter may kill the shrub to the ground, but it will quickly emerge in spring from the base. The combination of colorful foliage and nectar-rich flowers makes weigela a dual-purpose plant that provides both structure and hummingbird food.
#8 Butterfly Bush – The Multi-Purpose Marvel
This easy-to-grow flowering shrub is attractive to butterflies, but hummingbirds love the elongated clusters of nectar-rich blooms, too. I have noticed at my property, the butterfly bushes get the most hummingbird visitors of all of my plants and they bloom until first frost. The long, cone-shaped flower clusters are packed with tiny individual blooms, creating a concentrated nectar source that attracts multiple hummingbirds simultaneously.
Meet the butterfly bush, a real showstopper in any garden that’s not only a magnet for butterflies but also a favorite among hummingbirds, thanks to its large, fragrant flowers. This robust perennial typically reaches heights between six and ten feet and spreads four to ten feet. From the warm days of June or July right through to fall, the butterfly bush delights with a long season of blooming. The extended flowering period makes butterfly bush particularly valuable for providing consistent nectar throughout the growing season.
#7 Cuphea – The Tiny Tube Master
Include cuphea in all your summer designs if only to amuse children of all ages! Visiting hummingbirds will certainly add to the fun factor! Flower shapes include varieties that resemble the faces of tiny mice, as well as more traditional forms and elongated tubes. These unusual flowers come in vibrant colors and create constant conversation pieces in the garden.
The tiny tubular flowers are perfectly sized for hummingbird beaks and appear continuously throughout the summer months. Cuphea works particularly well in containers and hanging baskets, where its trailing habit can be displayed to best advantage. The unusual flower shapes, combined with their abundant nectar production, make cuphea plants irresistible to both hummingbirds and curious gardeners.
#6 Lupine – The Towering Spikes
These perennials produce tall, spiky flower clusters in shades of blue, purple, pink, or white. The nectar-rich flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds and other pollinators. The distinctive palm-shaped leaves create attractive foliage clumps even when plants aren’t in bloom, making lupines valuable for garden structure.
The tall flower spikes can reach four feet in height, creating impressive vertical displays that serve as landmarks for hummingbirds. Lupines prefer cooler climates and well-drained soil, making them particularly valuable in northern gardens where some other hummingbird plants struggle. The pea-like flowers are arranged in dense spikes that provide multiple feeding opportunities within a small area.
#5 Snapdragon – The Classic Charmer
These plants are particularly attractive to hummingbirds due to the rich nectar content of their flowers. Snapdragons make excellent additions to borders, cutting gardens, or containers. The characteristic “mouth” of each flower opens when gently squeezed, revealing the nectar chamber inside that hummingbirds access with their long beaks.
Modern snapdragon varieties come in heights ranging from dwarf types perfect for containers to tall varieties that work well in the back of flower borders. The flowers appear in dense spikes and are available in nearly every color except true blue, allowing them to fit into any garden color scheme. Regular deadheading keeps the flowers coming throughout the growing season.
#4 Impatiens – The Shade Lover’s Dream
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. The constant succession of flowers provides reliable nectar from late spring through the first frost, making impatiens valuable long-season performers.
Annual options that provide season-long color include cleome, impatiens, and petunias. Impatiens are particularly valuable for shaded areas where many other annuals struggle to bloom well. The succulent stems and leaves store water efficiently, helping plants survive brief dry periods while continuing to produce their nectar-rich flowers.
#3 Hollyhock – The Cottage Garden Classic
These tall, stately plants produce large, showy flowers in a variety of colors, including red, pink, white, and yellow. These plants are particularly attractive to hummingbirds due to the rich nectar content of their flowers. The wide, funnel-shaped flowers can reach four inches across and appear along towering stems that may reach eight feet in height.
Hollyhocks are quintessential cottage garden plants that create dramatic backdrops for shorter flowers while providing high-level nectar sources for hummingbirds. The large flowers open sequentially from bottom to top along the tall stems, extending the blooming period over several weeks. While typically grown as biennials, hollyhocks self-seed readily, creating seemingly permanent colonies that return year after year.
#3 Cleome – The Spider Flower Sensation
Commonly known as spider flower, cleome gets its common name from the long and threadlike flower stamens and elongated seedpods. The flowers readily self-seed and are also beloved by butterflies. Mix cleome in with other annuals such as zinnias and cosmos. The unusual flower structure creates an airy, almost ethereal appearance that adds texture and movement to flower borders.
The flowers appear in large, rounded clusters at the top of tall stems, creating landing platforms that accommodate multiple hummingbirds feeding simultaneously. Cleome continues blooming until hard frost, providing late-season nectar when many other flowers have faded. The self-seeding habit means that once established, cleome will likely return year after year without replanting.
#2 Red Hot Poker – The Architectural Wonder
Also known as torch lily, this perennial plant boasts tall spikes of tubular, red or orange flowers. The nectar-rich blooms are a favorite of hummingbirds. The distinctive poker-shaped flower heads create bold architectural elements that serve as focal points in perennial borders while providing abundant nectar.
The impressively large Torch Lily produces tall spikes of red, orange, and yellow flowers. It thrives in full sun and dry conditions and attracts pollinators such as the hummingbird. You can water these sparingly and plant them in sandy, well-drained soil. The drought tolerance makes red hot poker particularly valuable in water-wise gardens where consistent irrigation isn’t possible.
#1 Canna – The Tropical Stunner
With their large, tropical-looking leaves and showy, nectar-rich flowers, canna plants make a bold statement in the garden while also attracting hummingbirds. The paddle-shaped leaves can reach enormous proportions, creating dramatic foliage displays even when plants aren’t blooming, while the bright flowers appear continuously throughout the summer.
Cannas are particularly effective when planted in masses, creating bold swaths of color and texture that catch hummingbird attention from considerable distances. The flowers come in vibrant shades of red, orange, yellow, and pink, often with contrasting markings that add visual interest. While cannas aren’t hardy in cold climates, their tubers can be dug and stored indoors over winter for replanting the following spring.
Creating Your Hummingbird Haven
Now that you’ve discovered these twenty-five nectar powerhouses, it’s time to think strategically about creating your hummingbird paradise. Not only does planting an abundance of hummingbird-friendly plants create a visually stunning display highly attractive to hummingbirds, but it also increases the chances of them visiting and feeding in your garden. The key isn’t just choosing the right plants – it’s creating a diverse ecosystem that provides food throughout the entire hummingbird season.
Group similar plants together and choose species with different blooming periods so that there will be a steady supply of flowers nearly year round. Leave some sticks and small branches on bushes and trees to enable ready perches for hummingbirds. Remember that these tiny birds need more than just nectar – they also require protein from small insects, water sources for drinking and bathing, and safe nesting sites. By thoughtfully combining these spectacular flowers with good garden design principles, you’ll create a space that not only attracts hummingbirds but keeps them coming back season after season, turning your yard into a front-row seat for one of nature’s most enchanting shows.
Have you ever imagined transforming your ordinary backyard into a hummingbird superhighway that buzzes with activity from dawn to dusk? With these twenty-five remarkable flowers as your foundation, you’re well on your way to creating exactly that kind of magical space.
As a little kid, I fell in love with nature, wildlife, and animals. Living in the USA, South Africa, Italy, China and Germany gave me the opportunity to discover the world's Wildlife. My favorite animals are Mountain Gorillas, Siberian Tigers, and Great White Sharks.
I'm a certified PADI Open Water Diver, went to Everest Base Camp and Trekked Gorillas in Uganda. I hold a Master of Science in Economics and Finance.
Please send any feedback to feedback@animalsaroundtheglobe.com
- 25 Nectar-Rich Blooms Hummingbirds Can’t Resist – and How to Grow Them in Your Own Yard - July 15, 2026
- 25 Animal Feats That Defy Logic - July 14, 2026
- 10 Rare Birds Seen Only in U.S. Forests - July 14, 2026