Hummingbirds are as interesting as they are attractive and it is an absolute pleasure to invite these birds to your own backyards and gaze at their beauty. The best way to get not one but many of these birds buzzing in your own yard is to have plants that will lure them to your place.
Are you wondering what plants to put out for them to come? Well look no further than this article for here is a list of both shade and sun-loving plants. Needless to say, these plants compete with each other in being beautiful.
The first thing that we are going to look at is how to expose these plants to lure these birds. The answer is hanging baskets. These baskets are a sure-shot way of tempting these birds to your backyard. The next thing that we need to think about is the advantages of using these baskets.
The first thing is that these baskets are at a height. They increase interest. These baskets have another great benefit. We can actually see the action of the hummingbird very closely and at eye level actually.
Apart from luring these beautiful birds to your yard, these hanging plants add a high level of beauty element to your garden in raised beds and in the borders. But irrespective of where they are, they will definitely draw in hummingbirds without fail.
After you add these hanging plants, just wait and watch the number of hummingbirds that you will get to observe in your yard.
Best Hanging Plants to Attract Hummingbirds
1. Petunias
One of the most popular flowers for gardeners to grow is petunia. There are many different varieties of petunias, from the traditional single petals to more elaborate frilly blooms. Petunias come in a wide range of colors, including white, pink, purple, red, and blue.
Petunias are multi-colored flowers that are very low maintenance and thrive in a place that has a lot of sun. You do not need to have a full-fledged garden to grow these plants as they bloom and flower wonderfully well even when grown in containers. In fact, the numerous flowers that bloom in these plants look even better in a container as they tumble out of the containers so gracefully.
If you are wondering where to get them, they can be sourced locally at most nurseries where they are available as tiny saplings. This is, however, not the only way to grow them. They also grow equally well from seeds also. If you choose the second option of growing them from seeds, please remember to grow them at least 10 weeks prior to the last frost date. Once this hazard is overcome, it can be safely planted.
You don’t really have to worry about petunias if you live in a hot place as they are sun-loving plants. However, they need to be watered well at least once a week.
They should also be trimmed to about half their height. If this is not done, they are bound to get very thin and lanky.
If your primary aim in planting them is to attract hummingbirds, then it is best to go for lively colors such as red and pink.
Growing Zones: 9 to 11
Sun: Full Sun
Soil: Well-drained moist soil
Colors: Red, pink, white, blue, purple
Height: 6 – 18 inches
Spread: 18 inches to 4 feet
2. Lantana
Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to the Americas, from Texas and Florida in the United States south to Argentina and Chile in South America. Lantana plants are known for their showy flowers, which can be purple, yellow, white, or red. The flowers are used in many different types of floral arrangements.
If you think it is uninteresting to grow plants in pots and containers, then think again. Look at a pot or container with lantanas in full bloom and the beauty of the flowers will change your mind immediately. Needless to say, these multi-colored showy flowers are bound to lure hummingbirds to your backyard. The flowers bloom in clusters instead of individually.
The way they grow reminds us of vines and they overflow from pots and baskets charmingly.
If you live in a place that is not cold, then the petunias can adorn your garden as evergreen shrubs. If you live in cold places you can grow them as annuals.
They are believed to be encroaching on nature in frost-free places. So, it is advisable to check for any restrictions. However, if you grow them in pots, this problem does not arise at all.
Growing Zones: 8 – 11 or grow as annual
Sun: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained, slightly acid
Colors: Red, orange, yellow, blue, pink, and white
Height: 6 feet
Spread: 6 feet
3. Fuchsias
These are perennial plants. They are superbly colorful and sturdy and are capable of producing nectar that will invite hummingbirds throughout the summer.
These flowers are distinctly different from most other flowers because they have a characteristic droop. So they droop out gracefully if they are kept in pots and containers. The sight of them flowing out like this makes it worth the effort of growing them in pots and containers.
Fuschias come with an added advantage as they are very low-maintenance plants. They are also available in many varieties which are really sturdy and adapt very easily to different types of soils. Since they are low maintenance, they should definitely be added to your list of potted plants in your garden.
They are not plants that require to be out in the full sun but will do very well in dappled shade. They also require very little heat. If you feel that there is some shady area in your patio that lacks color and life, then that is the best place to place your fuschias. They will more than make up for the lack of color and life there.
There are just two things that need to be done regularly to keep these plants flourishing. After they flower, you need to pinch off the tips. They will also need fertilizers once in 2 weeks when they are in a growing phase.
If you live in cold places, do not leave these plants out in the cold during winter. During this period, they will do better inside than outside.
Growing Zones: 6 – 11
Sun: Partial sun to shade
Soil: well-drained moist soil
Colors: Pink, purple, white, orange, and blue
Height: 1 – 3 feet
Spread: 1 – 5 feet
4. Nasturtiums
There are many enjoyable special characteristics of these flowers. They dangle beautifully and this makes them ideal for growing in hanging baskets. These flowers have the distinction of an exceptional design as they are deep. The nectar that they produce is plentiful and it is no wonder that the hummingbirds find it very tempting. The best part is that these amazing flowers are edible too!
They are normally grown as annuals. They are available in two varieties – trailing and bush. The best time to plant the seeds of this plant is immediately after the frost season is over.
When they are in a growing phase, they will need to be watered regularly. They will also need deadheading.
Growing Zones: 2 – 11
Sun: Full
Soil: Well-drained
Colors: Red, orange, yellow, pink.
Height: 1 – 10 feet
Spread: 1 – 3 feet
5. Trumpet Vine
The magnificence of the trumpet flowers lies in their size and availability. They flower in large numbers and are really enormous. They are mostly an attractive shade of red. Their color, size, and number are enough to catch the attention of the hummingbirds very easily.
They go by other names such as trumpet creeper and trumpet flower. Since it droops beautifully, it is also ideal to be grown in hanging baskets.
Other than its beauty, there is another reason to plant this in hanging baskets. This plant can grow exceptionally fast and take over a lot of space. They are so fast that they actually need to be controlled. The best way to keep their quick growth under check is to grow them in hanging pots.
When we plant trumpet vine, we are actually waiting to see the beautiful flowers. This will happen only if we grow them from plants or cuttings. Growing them in any other way will have us waiting for years to see the flowers bloom.
Growing Zones: 4 – 9
Sun: Full sun or partial shade
Soil: Well-drained
Colors: Red, orange, yellow
Height: 25 – 40 feet
Spread: 5 – 10 feet
6. Bleeding Heart
Planting these plants gives you a dual advantage. These plants bear flowers that are extremely beautiful and give out an enjoyable aroma too. These are plants that do not need direct sunlight and the flowers are in full bloom during the spring. These perennial plants are pretty low maintenance and so are easy to grow.
It is difficult to beat the benefits they bring to shady corners. The sight of the flowers falling gracefully from a hanging basket is a sight for sore eyes.
If we have these plants at home, it is important to know the effect of too much heat or sun on them. Too much heat or the sun will cause the plants to die but the roots will however be alive and will spring back to life after a year.
Just like too much sun and heat are not good for these plants, too much water is also detrimental. They should be given enough water to make the soil moist. However, it should not be made wet.
- Growing Zones: 3 – 9
- Sun: Partial shade
- Soil: Well-drained, moist
- Colors: Red, White, Pink
- Height: 3 feet
- Spread: 3 feet
7. Impatiens
These annuals are vivid and brightly colored. If they are planted in areas that lack a lot of light and life, they will more than makeup for the missing life in the area.
They not only add life to shady areas but also grow best in shady areas. They grow best in soil that is able to drain water well and is moist also.
All you need to grow these plants is to buy saplings from nurseries. They are usually planted very close to each other so that they intertwine to make a mat made of flowers and leaves.
If you want to follow the method of growing these plants from seeds, it is a slightly longer procedure. These seeds should be taken from the plants and planted indoors 10 weeks ahead. This must be done ahead of the last frost. This will give them the ample time that they need to bloom. The other way to grow these plants is to use cuttings. The ideal season to do this is the fall. However, they should be safeguarded inside until the frost is gone completely.
- Growing Zones: 2 – 11
- Sun: Shade or partial shade
- Soil: Rich, well-draining
- Colors: Red, pink, purple, yellow, coral.
- Height: 6 – 36 inches
- Spread: 1 – 3 feet
Conclusion
The flowers described above are some of the best to lure hummingbirds to your backyard. The best way to admire these birds is to put these plants in hanging baskets. This will give you the opportunity to observe and enjoy the beauty of the hummingbirds in the best way possible.
