Planting for Hummingbirds
Laura Brewster, Anoka County Extension Master Gardener
There is nothing quite like a visit from a hummingbird – the flash of color accompanying his arrival, the thrill of watching him hover and feed, and his abrupt disappearance into the sky all make for an amazing show. In Minnesota, ruby-throated hummingbirds are here and hungry from late April through October. If you want to attract hummingbirds but don’t like the high maintenance of using feeders (they need to be cleaned and refilled every few days), there is another great option. By planting some of their preferred foods, you can draw hummingbird visitors to your garden and add beauty for human visitors at the same time.
Picking a site
Hummingbirds love woodland openings and edges, which makes the typical suburban yard ideal for them. Whether you have a site that basks in sun all day or one that offers abundant shade, you can create a specialized ‘buffet’ for hummingbirds by finding the right plant for your space and offering mass plantings. Hummingbirds are extremely territorial, so if possible, plant in multiple spaces to support more individual birds.
Hummingbirds want to nest close to their food source, and while you’ll likely never spot their thimble-sized nests, they especially like to build nests in oak and birch trees. Some plants that offer fuzzy fibers used by hummingbirds as nesting material include cinnamon fern, thimbleweed, and naturalized dandelions. Don’t forget to leave them a source for water, too.
Selecting Plants
While it is true that hummingbirds love red, orange and pink flowers because they can see them easily, they don’t dine from those colors exclusively, so you have many options. Try to structure your garden to provide food sources for hummingbirds from spring through fall. It is important to avoid using pesticides, which contaminate nectar and kill the insects that hummingbirds eat and also feed to their nestlings.
Here are some excellent plant choices to attract hummingbirds.
Early season: Virginia bluebells, Jacob’s ladder, woodland phlox, wild columbine, beardtongue, paintbrush flower and fire pink.
Mid-season: wild bergamot, scarlet beebalm, wood lily, tall larkspur, prairie blazing star, fire weed and butterfly milkweed.
Late season: orange jewelweed, cardinal flower, royal catchfly, great blue lobelia and obedient plant. Note that obedient plant can become aggressive, so if you have full sun and moist, rich soil, a container will be more appropriate.
You can add depth to your hummingbird garden design with woody plants. New Jersey Tea is a small shrub that attracts small insects, which are the other hummingbird food source. Pussy willow shrubs thrive in wet areas and provide hummingbirds with nesting material. Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) is a beautiful vine option.
To bring hummingbirds closer to your house, use window boxes, pots, and hanging baskets. A few containers of bright-colored salvia on your front steps or deck can transform your space into a hummingbird haven.
Creating a hummingbird garden will provide you with hours of entertainment, and you’ll also add color and interest to your landscape, which is a win-win for birds and humans alike.
For more information about the plants that hummingbirds prefer, visit https://northerngardener.org/best-plants-for-hummingbirds/
The Anoka County Master Gardeners' Plant Sale is May 16th and 17th. For details and information about upcoming events and services, visit www.anokamastergardeners.org