When we picture hummingbirds in our gardens, we might imagine them darting among summer flowers like bee balm and salvia.
However, migrating hummingbirds start arriving here in April and May, before those plants start blooming. They show up hungry and in need of nectar. Sure, feeders provide that, but an even better option is planting the May-blooming flowers that hummingbirds prefer.
Hummingbird tongues are designed to catch the nectar from tubular-shaped flowers, and they gravitate to the color red, as anyone who keeps a feeder knows.
It’s the iridescent ruby-throated hummingbird that we see here in the East though occasionally Western species such as the rufous hummingbird find themselves in our area.
Consider growing these five spring-blooming hummingbird favorites. All thrive in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5b to 7b, which covers all of Pennsylvania.
Trumpet honeysuckle is a hummingbird favorite, and songbirds eat the berries.
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Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
Also called coral honeysuckle, the vine has red, tubular flowers that hummingbirds adore. It is native to the Southeast U.S. and has naturalized in Pennsylvania. Full sun is needed for optimal bloom. It can grow from three to 20 feet long. Songbirds eat the late-summer berries, however they are toxic to humans.
Bleeding heart is a good hummingbird flower for shady areas
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Bleeding heart (Dicentra)
Have a shady garden? You can still attract hummingbirds if you grow bleeding heart, especially since they bloom here before a lot of other nectar plants get going. Choose those that flower in pink or red tones rather than white. Bleeding heart grows two to three feet high, and plants go dormant in summer.
Though short-lived, columbine reseeds if conditions are favorable.
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Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Columbine is another hummingbird favorite that not only takes part to full shade, it even handles full sun if the soil is kept moist. Plants are short-lived, though if they like where they’re growing they seed themselves quite nicely. They don’t like rich soil but do require good drainage. Columbine can get to be 3 feet tall.
If you want to see hummingbirds, plant red, orange, or pink petunias.
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Petunia
Petunia flowers have long throats that draw hummingbirds in. The birds are most attracted to those in red, orange or pink, but will visit blue and purple ones, too. Whether spilling from a basket or windowbox, or growing in a container or the landscape, petunias need full sun and well-drained soil.
Native Virginia bluebells are shade-loving plants favored by hummingbirds.
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Virginia bluebell (Mertensia virginica)
These shade-lovers bloom in late April and May in soft blue and pink tones. Not only do hummingbirds like this early riser, bees and other pollinators do, too. Established plants spread via rhizomes and prefer moist soil. Native to the Eastern U.S., Virginia bluebells grow 12 inches tall. Plants go dormant in summer.
From cardinal flowers to zinnias, these flowers will attract hummingbirds looking for nectar on their migratory paths.
Although hummingbirds get 90 percent of their nourishment from nectar, they need some protein, too. They get it from pollen and insects. Provide these by growing a variety of plants that bloom at different times. Most important, avoid using pesticides in your landscape.
If you put out feeders, clean them every day or every other day to prevent the sugar water from spoiling and making the birds sick. The National Audubon Society recommends using hot tap water and hydrogen peroxide or diluted vinegar to clean feeders; dish soap can leave a residue that can harm the birds.
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