Attracting hummingbirds to your yard is easy!
Nectar sources are your biggest advantage.
Fresh nectar and native flowers are the best way to attract hummingbirds.
Here's what to expect:
- 9 Native Alabama Flowers Hummingbirds Can’t Resist
- 5 Tips for Using Plants to Attract Hummingbirds
1. Bee Balm (Monarda)
- Perennial
Names: Bergamot, Horesemint, Oswego Tea
An herbaceous plant in the mint family and native to Alabama.
Choose Scarlet or “Fireball” Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) for hummingbirds. The vibrant red is preferred by Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds and many butterflies.
Beebalm does best in full sun and needs good drainage.
It’s spreading behavior varies so keep an eye on it making sure it doesn’t take over your garden.
Natives species of Bee Balm in Alabama that hummingbirds love:
- Wild Bergamot
- White Bergamot
- Spotted Bergamot
2. Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
- Perennial
Names: Scarlet Lobelia, Indian Pink
The Cardinal Flower depends on hummingbirds since many insects find the flowers difficult to navigate.
Every hummingbird garden must have Cardinal Flower since it’s practically a beacon for hummingbirds!
The flowers bloom from late summer through early fall, which is when young hummingbirds are feeding and adults are fueling up for migration.
3. Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
- Perennial
Names: Coral honeysuckle, Scarlet honeysuckle
Named for its tubular, trumpet shaped flowers. These red flowers are ideal for hummingbirds in both shape and color.
Trumpet Honeysuckle is a great native plant for your garden especially in the eastern United States.
An ideal strain of Trumpet honeysuckle for hummingbirds is Alabama Crimson.
4. Foxglove (Penstemon digitalis)
- Perennial
Foxglove is known for its purple and pink spire-like flowers. They’re native to Europe but have adapted to the Americas.
Foxglove is great for partially shaded areas. It’s an ideal hummingbird flower for rural or suburban yards where deer may appear as it’s considered deer resistant.
Beware— Foxglove is toxic. All plant parts cause severe poisoning.
Avoid it if you have small children or pets.
5. Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia)
- Perennial
The red, yellow, and tube shape of Eastern Red Columbine found in Alabama make it a hummingbird favorite.
Western Columbine flowers are great for hummingbirds, too. Both Columbine flowers bloom in early spring when hummingbirds return from their wintering grounds.
The varieties differ a bit in appearance but have the same soft red and orange hues.
6. Petunias
- Annual
Petunias are a popular and abundant flower. You can find them in every garden center this spring and probably in a number of grocery stores.
They can be an uncommon magnet for all pollinators.
Ideal Petunia strains for hummingbirds in Alabama are:
- Hairy wild petunia
- Fringeleaf wild petunia
- Carolina wild petunia
7. Blazing Stars (Liatris)
- Perenial
Names: Gayfeather
A tall cylindrical cluster of spikes for petals, Blazing Stars is one of the more fun flowers you can choose for hummingbirds in Alabama.
It looks like a pink-purple bottlebrush.
Ideal Liatris strains for attracting hummingbirds in Alabama are:
- Dense Blazing Star
- Small Head Blazing Star
They're found in various Alabama habitats, including bogs, pine savannahs, and rocky slopes.
Bonus: Clearwing Hummingbird Moths love Liatris
8. Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)
- Perennial
Names: Yellow trumpet, trumpet creeper,
Trumpet vine is a gorgeous orange and peach colored flower native to Alabama.
If you’re looking to channel a warm sunrise vine in your hummingbird garden, this is the flower to use.
~~ WARNING ~~
Be careful planting Trumpet Vine in small spaces.
Due to its highly vigorous nature and ability to spread, it is often called Hellvine or Devil's Shoestring.
9. Hibiscus
- Perennial
Names: Rose of Sharon
Hibiscus are hardy, full sun flowers that offer great options for cooler climates.
Sometimes hummingbirds make nests in or near the dense foliage of hibiscus shrubs.
Hibiscus strains native to Alabama that attract hummingbirds are:
- Scarlet Rose Mallow
- Swamp Rose Mallow
- Comfortroot
5 Key Tips for Using Plants to Attract Hummingbirds
1. Use Red Flowers
Hummingbirds are red sensitive.
They visit many colors but warm reds, yellows, and oranges increase the odds of them picking your flowers.
2. Tubular Shapes
Tubular or funnel-shaped flowers are best for their long beaks.
3. Group Plants Together
Grouping similar plants in clumps makes them easier for hummingbirds to spot.
Use companion planting to make sure your garden thrives!
4. Succession Planting
Choose a variety of plants that bloom at different times.
This gives hummingbirds a continuous nectar supply from early spring to late fall.
5. Avoid Pesticides
Insecticides protect plants from destructive insects.
Many store-bought pesticides can kill the insects hummingbirds eat and rely on for protien.
This throws off the delicate balance of the ecosystem.
Opt for these eco-friendly insecticide alternatives:
What flowers do your hummingbirds visit ?
Share it on the Sparkbird App! Available in the Apple App Store.
