Flowers My Hummers Love

"The hummingbird’s resilience is a reminder to never give up on our dreams." — Unknown

These photos are all from my yard over the years.

Sunflowers - Helianthus

• Annual and perennial varieties

• Full sun, 6+ hours per day

• Sunflowers can be categorized into three groups: tall, dwarf, and colored. Tall sunflower varieties can grow up to 15 feet tall.

• Annual sunflowers bloom during summer and into autumn. Sow new plants every few weeks and you’ll enjoy non-stop flowers until the first frost. Perennial sunflowers bloom for a period of 8-12 weeks with some beginning as early as July and others finishing as late as October.

Zinnia

• Annual

• Full sun

• It’s recommended that you grow zinnia from seed right in the garden bed, as they do not like to be transplanted.

• There are dwarf varieties 6 to 12 inches tall and wide, and others grow up to 4 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide.

• There are varieties with single or double petaled flowers in almost all the colors of the rainbow.

Butterfly Bush - Buddleia

• Perennial

• Hardy to Zone 5 

• The best time to prune butterfly bushes is at the end of winter – just before new growth begins. Since butterfly bushes bloom on new wood, even if there is no die-back, cut them back to the ground early each spring. Yes, hack to the ground! 

• They are considered invasive plants, you can choose a sterile variety of butterfly bush - A sterile butterfly bush is a cultivar of the butterfly bush that produces less than 2% viable seeds. These cultivars are the result of selective breeding programs and are considered to be less invasive than conventional butterfly bushes.

Anise Hyssop - Agastache foeniculum

• Perennial – short lived

• Zones 5-8

• Full sun to partial shade

• Fragrant foliage, which smells like anise or licorice

• Colors range from from soft lavender to rich violet

Runner Beans - Phaseolus coccineus

"Magic Beanstalk"

• Annual

• Needs full sun and constant moisture

• Flowers open at sunrise and fade at sunset.

• The flowers of brilliant scarlet blossoms that attract hungry hummingbirds and bees.

• 10 to 12 foot vines

• Trellis or fence is needed

• Flowers are followed by typical bean pods up to a foot long.

Coral Bells - Heuchera

• Perennial

• Zones 4-9

• Part shade, meaning 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight per day

• Feature tiny flowers that stand above vibrant foliage, attracting pollinators all summer long.

Bee Balm - Monarda

• Perennial

• Zones 4-9

I saved the best for last!!!!! This is my favorite! and the favorite for birds, bees and bugs!!!

• Monarda do best in full sun with at least 6 hours of sun per day. Avoid crowding and extended periods of dry. Plants will spread, so give them room!

• There are over a dozen Monarda species, also known as Bee Balm, native to North America

• The pictured is 'Raspberry Wine' 

Among the other plants I cultivate, which are highly appreciated by hummingbirds, are foxglove, petunias, fuchsias, salvia, asters, sedum, nasturtium, trumpet vine, honeysuckle, giant ironweed, mountain mint, oregano, columbine, and rose of sharon.