How to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden – and Create a Beautiful, Sustainable Landscape at the Same Time

Hummingbirds are a delight to watch as they dart and dash around the garden. To attract hummingbirds to your yard, consider planting a garden specifically to support these beautiful pollinators.

Whether you're not sure where to start and asking yourself, “How do I attract a hummingbird to my garden?” or you just need some inspiration for your existing hummingbird garden, then you're in the right place. I'll walk you through the basics of attracting hummingbirds, including their favorite plants, how to help them during migration, and what you need to provide a welcoming environment for these tiny birds.

Here are the top tips from our team of gardening experts that will make birds flock to your yard, especially adorable hummingbirds. The ideas below will not only help support these important pollinators, but they will help you grow a gorgeous garden as well.

Latest Videos From

How to Attract Hummingbirds

When attracting hummingbirds to your garden, you should keep in mind that these animals prefer to feed in shady areas. They also need plenty of open spaces for flying. Adding appropriate feeders and flowers will also attract these helpful pollinators to your yard.

1. Provide Feeders

An easy method of attracting hummingbirds to the garden is to hang hummingbird feeders. Hummingbird feeders, like this simple option from Walmart, can provide the same amount of nectar as 2,000 to 5,000 flowers.

Hang feeders at varying heights between 3 and 5 feet (1-1.5 m) off the ground and fill them with a homemade nectar recipe made from 4 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Change the mixture in the feeders every three days and clean your bird feeders every week with hot, soapy water.

2. Plant Flowers Hummingbirds Love

Some of the best plants for attracting hummingbirds to the garden include those that are orange or red in color and have tubular blooms. It's also good to choose native plants that hummingbirds can't resist. Here are some of the best plants to create a hummingbird hangout in your yard:

• Bee Balm Also known as Monarda, this stunning perennial herbaceous plant is characterized by clusters of vibrant tubular flowers that bloom in shades of red, pink, purple, or white.
• Columbine Renowned for its distinctive, bell-shaped flowers, columbine (Aquilegia spp.) blooms in an array of colors, including shades of blue, purple, pink, yellow, and white. These delicate flowers often feature contrasting spurs that give them a unique and elegant appearance. Columbine foliage is typically fern-like, with a light and airy texture.
• Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis, also known as the cardinal flower, is known for it's vibrant red tubular flowers that stand atop tall, erect stems and bloom in dense spikes, creating a stunning display of color in late summer and early fall.
• Jewelweed A wildflower in the impatiens family, this plant tolerates growing conditions that few others will tolerate, including deep shade and wet soil. The flowers, which bloom in mid to late summer, are trumpet-shaped and dangle from slender stalks, typically in shades of orange or yellow, with reddish-brown spots or streaks.

Hummingbirds also visit many other flowers in the garden, such as various types of lilies. Many non-native annul and perennial plants, trees, shrubs, and flowering vines are also good at attracting hummingbirds. Some of the best plants to try are:

• Scarlet sage
• Daylilies
• Honeysuckle
• Cannas
• Bouncing bet
• Silk tree
• Spider flower
• Morning glories
• Petunias
• Fuchsias

You can shop a wide variety of high-quality plants that attract hummingbirds online from Wayside Gardens.

3. Create a Welcoming Habitat

The best way to attract hummingbirds is to create a welcoming habitat for them to live, eat, and nest. Follow these tips to create a low-maintenance hummingbird sanctuary in your yard.

• Provide trees and shrubs near the feeding area to give the hummingbirds a place to rest and shelter from predators and weather.
• Ripe fruit left near the feeding area makes the site more attractive to hummingbirds and it attracts gnats – an important source of protein for hummingbirds.
• Hummingbirds also need water. A bird bath no more than 1.5 inches (4 cm) deep, like this beautiful handmade hummingbird bath from Amazon, provides plenty of water for pollinators. If the bath is too deep, fill the bottom with coarse gravel.
• Nectar provides only part of a hummingbird's nutritional needs. Many species also eat large quantities of small bugs for the protein they provide. You can attract bugs to your garden with a small weedy patch or wildflower area. Be sure never to use insecticides in gardens where hummingbirds feed.
• The best flowers for attracting hummingbirds are those with long throats that hang in clusters beyond the foliage. Flowers that are too close to the foliage force a hummingbird to beat its wings against the leaves as it feeds. The plants should have several open flowers at a time, too. There are plenty of great hummingbird plants for sun and for shade, depending on your landscape.
• Another great way to encourage more hummingbirds to visit your yard and stay is to provide them with plenty of nesting materials. Hummingbirds need fluffy, natural fibers to build nests. You can supply them with wool, coco coir, or even pet fur from your most recent grooming session.

Hummingbird Garden Essentials