11 Vibrant Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds

Is there anything better than watching cheerful hummingbirds flitter around? It's easy to attract these magical birds to your garden with a few well-selected flowers.

To keep their fast metabolism working, hummingbirds need to eat about every 10 minutes, so they could use all the help they can get! They rely on bright colors (especially red) to spot the best blooms, and they are particularly fond of tubular-shaped flowers that hold larger quantities of nectar.

Here are 11 flowers that attract hummingbirds and you can easily add to your home garden.

Warning

Some of the plants on this list are toxic to pets. For more information about the safety of specific plants, consult the ASPCA's searchable database.

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Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

Native to North America, the perennial bee balm plant is a favorite among all types of pollinators (not just bees and hummingbirds).

Their brightly colored flowers have an open shape with tubular petals that bloom from the start of June through the end of summer, though deadheading spent flowers will encourage them to bloom for even longer.

Since bee balm can grow to heights of 2-5 feet, it is a great background plant for a pollinator garden.

USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 9.
Sun Exposure: Full sun.
Soil Needs: Evenly moist.

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Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans)

With their silvery-green leaves and striking conical flower spikes that bloom from early spring to summer, the pride of Madeira plant is sure to attract a large number of hummingbirds to your garden.

They’re low maintenance and grow to heights of 5-6 feet, spreading as far as 10 feet. Incredibly fast-growing, these evergreen plants are also drought tolerant and deer resistant.

USDA Growing Zones: 14 to 24.
Sun Exposure: Full sun.
Soil Needs: Well-draining, sandy loam.

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Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata)

Hummingbirds can’t resist the sweet smell of these popular perennial plants, especially due to their long blooming season from mid-summer to mid-fall

Commonly used as a border plant, the garden phlox flowers range from white and lavender to pink and red.

They can be a bit temperamental if not given enough air circulation and they are also easily affected by mildew and root rot if overwatered.

USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8.
Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade.
Soil Needs: Moist but well-draining.

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Scarlet Salvia (Salvia splendens)

Also known as scarlet sage, the scarlet salvia plant attracts hummingbirds with its bright red, tubular flowers that are easy to grow, blending in nicely with other annuals.

These plants are technically members of the mint family, their dark green, spiky leaves giving off a fragrance that makes them resistant to deer and other mammals.

USDA Growing Zones: 10 to 12.
Sun Exposure: Full sun.
Soil Needs: Well-draining.

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Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia uvaria)

With a name like red hot poker (also known as torch lily), it comes as no surprise that these unique perennials are almost impossible to ignore—especially if you’re a hummingbird.

The plant grows in upright stalks of blueish-green leaves topped with dense clumps of tubular flowers—red on the top and yellow on the bottom. They can grow to be about 6 feet high and are virtually disease-free, which, along with their long blooming period from spring to summer, makes them a perfect addition to a showy garden.

USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9.
Sun Exposure: Full sun.
Soil Needs: Neutral, well-draining.

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Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

The long, tubular flowers of these plants don’t just attract hummingbirds but rely on them for survival as well.

Each flower consists of three lower petals and two upper petals with a tube at the base, a difficult territory for many types of pollinating insects. The cardinal flower depends on the long beaks of hummingbirds for pollination.

Cardinal flowers are perennials with red blossoms that bloom from May to October.

USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 9.
Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade.
Soil Needs: Moist.

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Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)

A perennial with heart-shaped, pink flowers that dangle downwards from long arching stems, the bleeding heart plant blooms in late spring.

The flowers are completely unique-looking and provide a soft contrast to their green, divided leaves. Plant these flowers as part of a shaded border or woodland garden and use them for fresh-cut bouquets (the blooms last for a full two weeks in water).

USDA Growing Zones: 2 to 9.
Sun Exposure: Light shade.
Soil Needs: Well-draining, moist.

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Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans)

The trumpet creeper is known for its trumpet-shaped flowers ranging in color from orange to reddish-orange, which hummingbirds love.

These plants are aggressive climbers, covering rocks, fences, and trees by way of aerial rootlets up to 35 feet long. Trumpet creepers are native to North America as far as Ohio and South Dakota but can spread rapidly if not managed.

USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 10.
Sun Exposure: Full to partial sun.
Soil Needs: Well-draining.

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Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

The flower head of the common yarrow plant is arranged in dense clusters of tiny blossoms that give off a strong fragrance to attract pollinators. They are both deer and drought resistant, blooming all summer long.

USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 9.
Sun Exposure: Full sun.
Soil Needs: Sandy, loamy, well-draining.

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Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

These perennial, semi-wooded plants are big climbers thanks to their draping stems. They grow into woody vines with evergreen leaves and yellow bark in the South, but tend to be more deciduous in the Midwest and Northeast. In all of the areas where it grows, however, the leaves are thick and leathery, while the blossoms grow orange-red with five stamens.

Trumpet honeysuckles do best in full sun but can tolerate a fair amount of shade in certain climates.

USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 9.
Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade.
Soil Needs: Moist, well-draining soil.

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Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)

Easily one of the most popular flowers in the United States, zinnias have a lengthy blooming season from early summer to the first winter frost. Their blossoms come in a range of brilliant colors, most notably pinks, oranges, and reds, as well as many different varieties that depend on height, flower sizes, and shape.

Hummingbirds are instantly attracted to the zinnia’s dazzling flowers, which are easy to cultivate and grow more abundantly with regular deadheading.

USDA Growing Zones: 2 to 11.
Sun Exposure: Full sun.
Soil Needs: Loamy, well-draining.

To check if a plant is considered invasive in your area, go to the National Invasive Species Information Center or speak with your regional extension office or local gardening center.