More on hummingbirds
In addition to food sources, convenient perching opportunities will make your yard more hospitable to hummingbirds, since they spend around 80% of their time sitting on twigs, leaf stems, clotheslines, etc., between feeding forays and sorties against trespassing rivals.
Hummingbirds.net offers this list of plants than can attract hummingbirds throughout the growing season. And if you plant with sequential blooming in mind, you should always have something in the garden to catch the attention of a hummingbird.
Trees and Shrubs
Azalea
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
Cape Honeysuckle
Flame Acanthus
Flowering Quince
Lantana
Manzanita
Mimosa
Red Buckeye
Tree Tobacco
Turk's Cap
Weigela
Vines
Coral Honeysuckle
Cypress Vine
Morning Glory
Scarlet Runner Bean
Trumpet Creeper
Perennials
Bee Balm (Monarda)
Canna
Cardinal Flower
Columbine
Coral Bells
Four O'Clocks
Foxglove
Hosta
Hummingbird Mint (Agastache)
Little Cigar
Lupine
Penstemon
Yucca
Annuals
Beard Tongue (and other penstemons)
Firespike
Fuchsia
Impatiens
Jacobiana
Jewelweed
Petunia
Various Salvia species
Shrimp Plant
NOTE: Japanese Honeysuckle attracts hummingbirds, too, but it's an invasive and troublesome exotic species that's no longer recommended.
Comments
I never put out any hummingbird feeders, but they seem to make regular stops in my garden. I've seen a few this summer. My recollection is that we see them more often in mid-to-late summer.
Posted by: Dahlink | June 29, 2010 3:09 PM
I had lots of Hummers last year, but only two, then none, this year. Anybody else having this problem? Do you think it might be the drought or heat?
Posted by: Beverley Young | June 29, 2010 6:07 PM
Nice list of plants Susan!
The hummingbirds seemed to be attracted to my Red Hot Poker and Showy Primrose when both were in bloom a few weeks back. I watched it go from the feeder, and then one plant and the to the other before it flew off. Since then I've only seen a hummingbird a few times, definitely not as often as in prior years.
Posted by: Kathy | June 30, 2010 9:07 AM
I've had several visiting my garden since mid-June but all seem to be transient. I keep garden journals and the "permanent resident" always seems to show up the July 4th weekend. Sometimes it's the same hummer as the year before! I always hope it will be one of those leisurely feeders that you can watch. Some have flitted on before your brain registers they are there.
Posted by: Deborah Sarsgard | June 30, 2010 9:49 AM