A Guide to Humming Bird Plant Choices

Humming birds are remarkable winged creatures that capture the imagination like no other bird. With a length of only a few inches, a weight of less than an ounce, and wing beats up to 60 beats a minute, these little birds are truly awe-inspring. Humming birds come in a variety of different species, with names like Magnificent, Xantus, Lucifer, Berylline, Violet-crowned, and Ruby-throated, to name only a few! There are a variety of humming bird plant choices that you can use to attract these feathered marvels to your garden.

Humming birds feed on nectar. And, they love bright colors. They do not have good senses of smell, however. When choosing trees, flowers, and shrubs for your garden, go for trumpet or tubular shaped blooms in colors like red, bright pink, orange and purple. When planting, you'll want both flowers that take sun, and flowers that take shade. By choosing flowers, trees and shrubs in varying heights, you'll give the humming birds places to eat, hide, perch, and potentially even nest. Humming birds will be more attracted to a large clump of bright red flowers than a few scattered blooms.

Some popular choices for your humming bird garden include:

  • Butterfly Bush
  • Bee Balm
  • Red Columbine
  • Morning Glory
  • Cape Fuschia
  • Bleeding Heart
  • Coral Honeysuckle
  • Cardinal Flower

    Along with flowers like these, you'll also need to provide a water source for the birds. For humming birds, a birdbath may not be the best choice, unless it's very shallow. Instead, provide water in a dropper-type feeder. Because humming birds dine on solution that contains mostly water, they don't need to drink as much as other birds might.

    Speaking of humming bird food, it's a good idea to provide feeders in the vicinity of your garden. Humming bird feeders are bottle shaped and normally made from glass or plastic. You can find them in different colors, including clear. If you can, choose a red feeder. You can also tie a red bow or ribbon around the feeder to make it more attractive to the birds.

    A trip to your local nursery or landscaping center can help you find out more about humming bird plant choices for your garden. Not only will these flowers attract birds and even butterflies, they'll beautify your yard and make it a more pleasant place in which to relax!

    Copyright 2006 Frances Coleman - All Rights Reserved

    2007 Ruby-throated Hummingbird


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