There are 2 main ways to attract hummingbirds, Flowers and Feeders!
FLOWERS
By planting some of their favorite flowers, you can have Hummingbirds zipping around your garden all summer long. By taking into account bloom times, you can provide flowers for the entire season. Hummingbirds are most attracted to red, tubular flowers that supply a lot of nectar. But they are not the only flowers they will visit. Some favorite flowers that attract Hummingbirds include:
Annuals
- Ageratum
- Cardinal Vine
- Cleome
- Cosmos
- Four O’Clocks
- Fuchsia
- Geranium
- Impatiens
- Mandevilla
- Nicotiana
- Petunias
- Salvia
- Zinnia
- Mint
- Penstemon
- Phlox
- Red Hot Poker
- Salvia
- Turtlehead
- Trumpet Honeysuckle
- Trumpet Vine
- Verbena
- Yarrow
Perennials
- Astilbe
- Bee Balm
- Blackeyed Susan
- Butterfly Weed
- Cardinal Flower (Lobelia)
- Columbine
- Coneflower
- Coral Bells (Heuchera)
- Coreopsis
- Delphinium
- Hollyhock
- Hyssop (Agastache)
- Penstemon
- Red Hot Poker
- Salvia
- Turtlehead
- Trumpet Honeysuckle
- Trumpet Vine
- Verbena
- Yarrow
When double and single varieties of flowers are available, chose single varieties. Single flowers are easier for the Hummingbirds to feed on.
Feeders
Feeders are another way to attract hummingbirds. Hummingbird feeders come in a variety of shapes & sizes. Red is the preferred color. If there is not enough red to get a Hummingbird’s attention, attach a piece of red tape or paper to the feeder. Don’t add red coloring to the sugar solution in your hummingbird feeder. There is no data on how any coloring affects hummingbirds. Hummingbirds can consume half their weight in sugar each day. Fill feeders with a solution of one part sugar and four parts water. Do not use a higher ratio of sugar than that. Do not use honey, brown sugar or other sweeteners. Honey ferments easily and can harbor a fungus that causes the birds tongue to swell. This makes it so the Hummingbird cannot eat and eventually starves. Artificial sweeteners do not provide any sugars the birds need to survive. Clean your feeder weekly, using a mild soapy water or a mixture of water and vinegar. Thoroughly rinse the feeder before refilling it.
Hummingbirds are very territorial, and one may chase others away from a feeder. This is why it is a good idea to place one feeder out of sight of another, or at the opposite end of the yard.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the most common Hummingbird species in the eastern U.S. They spend the winter in Mexico and come back to our area around April 1. They return to Mexico around Labor Day. Although it is not uncommon to see late birds migrating through October. The Rufous Hummingbird has begun migrating to and over wintering in the southeast. For this reason, experts now recommend that hummingbird feeders in these areas be left out all winter.