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HUMMINGBIRD MENU

How to Attract Hummingbirds with

Flowers and Water Features

We love watching hummingbirds at our home in Texas, andwherever our travels take us across the country. We also enjoyhummingbird gardening, and designing our landscape to providefood and shelter for a variety of hummingbirds.

The Needs of the Hummingbird

Hummingbirds, like other birds and other animals, need food,water, and shelter, the basic necessities of life.

Hummingbird Shelter

Food and water seem obvious requirements, but shelter andprotection are also important to attracting hummingbirds. Thedense foliage of trees provides not only protection but also asource of insects and the protein they provide. Trees and large shrubs provide a resting place betweenmeals at the feeder or flowers.

Hummingbird Food in Nature

The hummingbird's diet consists of nectar from flowers (red is the favorite color), small insects such asaphids and spiders, and sometimes even pollen and sap.

Hummingbirds feed in many small meals, consuming small invertebrates and up to twelve times their ownbody weight in nectar each day.

Many plant species rely on hummingbirds for pollination and provide nectar and tiny insects in exchange.Hummingbirds staunchly and aggressively defend a feeding area, or feeder, even when not feeding.

And awonderful by­product of

gardening forhummingbirds:Butterflies!

(http://www.butteriesathome.com)

A hummingbird favorite in the landscape: Butterfly Bush

Water Features

Most birds in the wild appreciate a bird bath, either for drinking water or for bathing. Hummingbirds enjoy a"cool dip in the pool" on a warm morning or hot afternoon.

They enjoy shallow water, preferably with movement, like a small waterfall or gently flowing water. Manydifferent brands, models and sizes of water features are available in the marketplace.

Some hummingbird fans like the Essential Garden red pot fountain which features water spilling over thetop and flowing down among LED lights. The fountain can be used indoors or outdoors, and includes a 6'cord for access to an electrical outlet. We don't own one, but many of our readers say that theirhummingbirds love it! You can purchase the red Essential Garden pot fountain at Amazon or other retailoutlets, including K­Mart. Prices vary so be sure to shop around.

Others use a small solar­powered pump to convert a standard birdbath to one with movement andsound. No wires! Flexible ... move it around your yard.

Landscape and Flower Selections That Work Well

Favorite flowers of hummingbirds are often red incolor, and tubular in shape, so we include manyplants with these features.

We plant flowers, shrubs and trees that help thehummingbirds acquire the nectar and food they needto thrive. Our landscape features a number ofdifferent ecological environments. It is in thecountry, and backs up to hundreds of acres of forest,with nearby fields and pastures.

We often have over 40 Ruby­Throated hummingbirdson our feeders at one time during the fall migrationsouthward through Texas. At times we are alsoblessed with several brightly colored BaltimoreOrioles on our feeders!

Butterfly Bush

We currently have an assortment of butterfly bushes planted, and all are favorites of the butterflies as wellas hummingbirds.

Butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) usually bloomfrom mid­July through frost, producing long 4­5inch flower spikes which look and smell likeminiature lilacs.

Buddleias produce a honey­scented fragrance thatlures butterflies to its blooms, and then oncethere, they find the flowers super­rich in nectar.

We utilize both full­size and dwarf varieties, inwhite, purple and reddish colors. Full­size speciescan grow large in just one season in a mildclimate, perhaps 6 feet high and 6 feet indiameter.

Make sure they are planted in well­drained soil,and resist the temptation to overwater them.

The major drawback to butterfly bushes is thatthey never drop their dead blooms. We cut the dead blooms periodically, and also trim the bushes in areaswhere space is a limitation. They are often frost proof to about 25 degrees; below that, they will freeze tothe ground, and in milder climates spout and grow from their base the following spring.

Lantana

Easy to grow, heat tolerate: Lantana

Another popular hummingbird plant: Batface Cuphea

We love lantana, as evidenced by the fact that wehave over 45 plants growing now, consisting ofseveral varieties, from yellow to white to red toorange.

Lantanas are perennials in much of the South, andwill flower in full sun or light shade, preferably inwell­drained soil. As semi­desert natives, theybloom best when not overfed or over watered.

They are winter­tolerate in much of the South, andeven in areas where they freeze to near ground­level, they readily sprout again in the early days ofspring.

Other Favorites of Hummingbirds

In addition to Lantana and Butterfly Bush, ourlandscape often includes Zinnias, Pentas,Milkweed, Salvia, Batface Cuphea, Hot Lips, FireBush, Nasturtiums, Coreopsis, and otherhummingbird­friendly plants, annuals andperennials.

But we also plant other blooms that, while theymay not be hummingbird favorites, provideadditional color in the landscape: Gladiolas,Geraniums, Hydrangeas, Impatiens, Verbena androses. All deliver bright colors, and hummingbirdslove color!

Other landing and feeding spots include(depending on the season) dozens of Azaleas,Pansies, Impatiens, Knockout Roses, CreepingPhlox, Daffodils, Hydrangeas, Portulaca andGladiolas.

A Final Ingredient: The HummingbirdFeeder

Planting the right flowers is an important element in establishing the right environment for attractinghummingbirds.

But you need another key attractant: the hummingbird feeder! As the Texas migration peaks here in lateAugust and early September, the hummingbirds start to share feeders, an action unheard of during thesummer when defending a feeder is the norm. As sharing continues, we will see 6­8­10 hummingbirds on afeeder at a time.

Hummingbird Garden Photographs

Shown below are a few photos of features of an effective butterfly garden, including shelter, a variety offlowers and hummingbird feeders!

Hummingbird garden with low­hanging feeder.

This is a great solution if you haveno pets or raccoons! Put thefeeders at eye­level for theenjoyment of the hummingbirds,and you!

Hummingbird feeder nestled in a

Butterfly Bush ... the hummers love

it!

Photos of Hummingbird Garden Plants

Shown below are photos of several of the flowers that are popular and easy to grow in home gardens ... allfavorites of hummingbirds!

Zinnia

Orange Marigold

Purple Butterfly Bush

Purple Butterfly Bush up close

Purple Butterfly Bush with aHummingbird Moth (hummingbird­

moth.htm)

White Butterfly Bush

Batface Cuphea

Hot Lips Salvia

Orange and Gold Lantana

White Lantana

White Pentas

Pink Pentas about to bloom

Fire Bush. Produces clusters of tubular, orange­red flowers. Attracts hummingbirds,

and butterflies. Hardy to 20­30degrees.

Red Hibiscus

Other Plants for the Landscape to Help Attract Hummingbirds

Other plants and flowers might not be hummingbird favorites, but we use these plants for additional color inthe landscape ... hummers love color, and are attracted to it! And the hummingbirds try all kinds of flowers!

Deep Orange DayLily

OrangeBougainvillea

Purple Verbena

Mexican Heather

Ornamental Peppers

White Gladiolas

White Periwinkle

Red Geraniums