Plants that hummingbirds love

There are few garden moments better than a hummingbird hovering at a flower right outside your window. In Florida, the ruby-throated hummingbird and a few others can be drawn in reliably with the right plants — they are looking for specific shapes and colors, and once they find them, they return.

Hummingbirds favor tubular, nectar-rich flowers, especially in red and orange, that suit their long bills and high-energy needs. Here are the plants hummingbirds love for a Palm Beach County yard, and how to garden so they keep coming back.

What hummingbirds look for

Hummingbirds are drawn to tubular flowers that hold abundant nectar, and they have a well-known affinity for red and orange, though they will work many colors once they find a good source. The flower shape matters as much as the color, since their long bills are built for deep tubes.

They also need a lot of fuel for their fast metabolism, so they favor plants that bloom heavily and reliably. A garden with several strong nectar plants in bloom gives them a reason to stay in the neighborhood.

Firebush — the top pick

Firebush is one of the very best hummingbird plants for Florida: a native shrub with orange-red tubular flowers that bloom through the warm months and draw hummingbirds daily. It is tough, drought-tolerant, and generous, ticking every box.

Plant a firebush where you can see it from indoors and you will have a front-row seat to the show. It anchors a hummingbird garden the way pentas anchors a butterfly one.

Firespike and coral honeysuckle

Firespike sends up tall red flower spikes that hummingbirds work eagerly, and it has the bonus of blooming in shade where many nectar plants will not. It is a superb choice for a shadier hummingbird spot.

Coral honeysuckle, a native vine, drapes clusters of red-orange tubular flowers that hummingbirds love over a fence, trellis, or arbor. It is well-behaved, unlike the invasive Japanese honeysuckle, and adds vertical nectar to the garden.

Salvia and pentas

Many salvias, especially the red ones, are excellent hummingbird plants, their tubular flowers and long bloom seasons keeping the birds fed for months. They are easy, sun-loving, and come in forms for beds and borders.

Pentas, while better known for butterflies, also draws hummingbirds with its clustered tubular blooms and near-year-round flowering. Planting both salvia and pentas serves hummingbirds and butterflies at once.

Add a few more nectar sources

Round out the garden with other hummingbird-friendly plants like shrimp plant, cigar plant (cuphea), and flowering trees and shrubs that offer tubular blooms. Variety keeps nectar available as different plants come in and out of flower.

The goal is a steady supply across the seasons, so mix plants with different bloom times. A continuous nectar table is what turns occasional visitors into regulars.

Garden for them, not just plant for them

Beyond flowers, hummingbirds appreciate a few perches — a thin bare branch or trellis wire where they can rest and survey — and a fine water mist or dripper, which they enjoy. Avoiding pesticides is essential too, since they eat small insects along with nectar.

If you use a sugar-water feeder, keep it clean and skip the red dye, letting the plants and feeder color do the attracting. A garden that supplies natural nectar, insects, perches, and clean water meets all their needs.

Plant your hummingbird garden

Start with a firebush or two, add salvia and pentas, and weave in a coral honeysuckle or firespike, then expand as you see what visits. Even a small planting of the right flowers can bring hummingbirds within view.

We can help you choose the best hummingbird plants for your light and space. Come tell us where you would love to see them and we will build a plant list at the nursery.

Frequently asked questions