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Find out what kind of flowers hummingbirds like and get tips on how to attract them to your garden.
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Flowers that Hummingbirds Like
Hummingbirds are attracted to a variety of flowers, but there are definitely some that they prefer more than others. They love flowers that are red, pink, or purple and they also like flowers that are tubular shaped. Some of their favorite flowers include bee balm, columbine, and trumpet vine.
Trumpet-shaped flowers
Trumpet-shaped flowers are one of the most popular choices for gardeners who want to attract hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are drawn to the bright colors and the sweet nectar that these flowers provide. Some of the most popular trumpet-shaped flowers include:
-Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans)
-Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
-Red hot poker (Kniphofia uvaria)
-Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
-Trumpet lily (Lilium superbum)
Tubular flowers
Tubular flowers are a good choice if you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden. They can be found in a variety of colors, including red, pink, orange, and white. Some common varieties of tubular flowers that hummingbirds like include:
-Bee balm
-Cardinal flower
-Trumpet creeper
-Hummingbird sage
-Trumpet honeysuckle
Flat, wide flowers
Most hummingbirds feed on nectar from flowers, using their long bills to reach deep inside the flower while they hover in the air. The shape of a hummingbird’s bill is usually adapted to the type of flower it feeds on most frequently.
The vast majority of hummingbird flowers are red, orange, or yellow, although some are white, purple, or blue. They are typically flat or tubular in shape, with a wide opening that makes it easy for the hummingbird to access the nectar. Some common examples of flowers that hummingbirds like include:
-Trumpet creeper
-Honeysuckle
-Bee balm
-Cardinal flower
-Passionflower
Flowers that Hummingbirds Don’t Like
If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden, you need to make sure you have the right kind of flowers. There are some flowers that hummingbirds don’t like, and if you have these in your garden, the hummingbirds will likely stay away.
Flowers with a strong fragrance
The vast majority of hummingbird-pollinated flowers are fragrant. Studies have shown that the pollinators preferentially visit odoriferous blooms. However, there are a few flowers out there that don’t fit this norm. While most people think of fragrance as a pleasant smell, some smells can be incredibly strong – even overwhelming. The following flowers produce such powerful scents that hummingbirds stay away.
Flowers with a strong fragrance
-Lilac (Syringa spp.)
-Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.)
-Jasmine (Jasminum spp.)
-Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides)
Flowers with a lot of pollen
While hummingbirds are beloved by many for their beauty and graceful flight, there are some types of flowers that they simply don’t like. One type of flower that hummingbirds tend to avoid is one that has a lot of pollen. The pollen can actually be quite harmful to hummingbirds, as it can block their airways and make it difficult for them to breathe. If you’re looking to attract hummingbirds to your garden, it’s best to avoid planting flowers with a lot of pollen.
Flowers that are too small
Some flowers are just too small for hummingbirds to effectively pollinate. This is often the case with wildflowers, which have evolved to be pollinated by insects like bees, which have much longer tongues than hummingbirds. Tubular flowers like columbines (Aquilegia spp.) are also difficult for hummingbirds to pollinate, because they can’t reach the nectar at the bottom of the tube. If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden, choose flowers that are open and trumpet-shaped, rather than tubular.
