Creating a thriving hummingbird garden isn’t just about putting up a feeder and hoping for the best. These remarkable little visitors need a carefully planned habitat that provides food, shelter, and safety throughout their active season.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, these essential features will help you create a hummingbird haven that will keep these delightful creatures coming back year after year.

1. Native Tubular Flowers in Orange and Red

Plant plenty of native flowers with tubular blooms like honeysuckle, trumpet vine, bee balm, and sage. Supplement feeders with fresh edible flowers like nasturtium, fuchsia, and impatiens to provide more nutrients.

Choose flowers that have bright colors like orange or red, and offer plenty of nectar in tubular or trumpet-shaped flowers. Hummingbirds need bugs, so plant native species that attract plenty of insect life too.

2. Spread Feeders So They Cannot See Each Other

It is also a good idea to place hummingbird feeders. You should place feeders in groups in multiple locations in your garden – ideally not within sight of each other.

If you’d like to attract Rufous hummingbirds to your garden, be sure to set up multiple, widely spread bird feeding stations in your backyard to attract these tiny birds; the farther they are apart, the better! Because of their feeding habits, separating one hummingbird feeder from another will allow other wayward hummingbirds to get a fair chance to enjoy the sugar water.

3. They Need Water to Bathe More Than to Drink

Hummingbirds generally get the water they need through nectar. But you should include water in your garden, so they have a place to bathe, and to help them feel comfortable and at home.

First, provide a source of fresh water. Hummingbirds are attracted to moving water, so consider installing a small fountain or waterfall.

You can also simply hang a birdbath in your yard and change the water regularly.

4. They Spend 80 Percent of Their Time Perching

Place your hummingbird feeders near bushes to provide perching spots. Hummingbirds.net says these little birds spend 80 percent of their time perching.

They like to keep an eye on things, not for a long time but long enough to keep an eye out for predators. It’s easier to protect yourself if you can see your predators coming.

5. Tiered Plantings

Create visual interest and maximize feeding opportunities by arranging plants in tiers. Start with tall plants like hollyhocks and delphinium in the back, medium-height plants like salvia and penstemon in the middle, and shorter plants like verbena and lantana in the front.

This arrangement provides multiple feeding levels and creates an attractive, layered look in your garden.

6. Choose Flowers That Bloom All Season

Provide food for the entire season, not just one part of the season. If you’re going to put out feeders, be sure to fill them consistently.

If you are depending on a garden to attract hummingbirds, choose a variety of flowers that will provide blooms all season. Ideally, hummingbirds will find blooming varieties throughout the breeding season, even though individual types of lilies may only bloom for a few short weeks every year.

A good hummingbird garden will include flowers that bloom throughout the year.

7. Small Trees and Shrubs Near the Feeders

Hummingbirds will require shelter for resting and safety from predators. Small bushes and trees within 10 to 20 feet of the feeding and watering area will work well to provide this necessity.

But as mysterious and ethereal as they seem, they too need a place to rest and raise a family. Most hummingbirds build their nests safe in the shelter of trees, shrubs, or bushes.

8. They Need Insects, So Skip Insecticides

Hummingbirds need nectar from flowering plants, but they also need insects as these also form an essential part of their diet. So, as well as nectary plants for hummingbirds, you should plant to attract a range of insect life.

So, if you want to attract hummingbirds to your yard, make sure your yard is a friendly place for spiders and the other insects that hummingbirds rely on. Avoid using insecticides, which are dangerous for hummingbirds and kill off the bugs they eat.

9. They Prefer Red and Orange but Visit Other Colors

Hummingbirds are drawn to flowers of bright colors that stand out in the garden and are especially fond of the color red. One reason that hummers are particularly drawn to red flowers is that other pollinators such as bees can’t see red at all.

Many hummingbirds will visit yellow flowers. And hummingbirds can be seen feeding from flowers with a wide range of hues.

However, these birds are particularly drawn to vibrant red and orange colors and may prefer those blooms.

10. Nearby Shrubs Give Them Protection and Perches

Next, partner up with plants. Nearby shrubs and branches will give hummingbirds protection and places to perch and rest.

Nectar-producing plants will draw hummingbirds and let them know there’s food on the menu.

11. Climbing Vines and Hanging Baskets Add Foraging Height

Two extra ways to create a highly hummingbird-friendly garden is to include well-developed climbing vines with blooms and to have a few hanging baskets around the garden. Taking advantage of the different topography in your garden is a great way to produce a natural sense of foraging for hummingbirds.

12. Native Plants and Water Belong Throughout the Garden

But these are just some of the good plants for these pollinators. Remember to choose plenty of native trees, shrubs, climbers, and herbaceous plants to create a hummingbird habitat throughout your space.

And incorporate water in your garden design to help them feel at home. Hummingbirds need native plants more than they need feeders, but feeders are still a great option.

They are especially popular for window birdwatchers and those who don’t have a lot of space to grow a lot of flowers.

13. Place Feeders Where You Can Reach Them to Clean

I recommend hanging your birdfeeder where there is some cover from predators, but where you can still see it from your window or sitting area. Place the pole where you can easily reach the feeder for regular cleaning, filling, and maintenance.

What a hummingbird garden needs

Spec	What our writers say
Native tubular flowers	Honeysuckle, trumpet vine, bee balm, and sage
Extra edible flowers	Supplement feeders with nasturtium, fuchsia, and impatiens
Colors they prefer	Bright orange or red; they also visit yellow flowers and a wide range of hues. One reason they are particularly drawn to red is that bees cannot see it.
Feeder layout	Groups in multiple spots, ideally not within sight of each other. The farther apart, the better, so wayward birds get a fair chance at the sugar water.
Water	They generally get the water they need through nectar. Add a small fountain, waterfall, or hanging birdbath so they can bathe, and change the water regularly.
Time spent perching	Hummingbirds.net says they spend 80 percent of their time perching. Place feeders near bushes so they can keep an eye out for predators.
Shelter distance	Small bushes and trees within 10 to 20 feet of the feeding and watering area
Nest sites	Most hummingbirds build their nests in the shelter of trees, shrubs, or bushes
Insects	An essential part of the diet. Plant for insect life and skip insecticides, which are dangerous and kill the bugs they eat.
Season-long blooms	Choose a variety of flowers that bloom all season. Individual lilies may bloom only a few short weeks. Fill feeders consistently.
Vertical forage	Well-developed climbing vines with blooms and a few hanging baskets, using the garden's different topography
Feeder access	Hang where there is some cover from predators but you can still see it, and place the pole where you can reach the feeder to clean, fill, and maintain it

Keep reading

• 16 Signs Your Hummingbird Garden Needs an Urgent Makeover
• 13 Budget-Friendly Ways to Create the Ultimate Hummingbird Garden
• 14 Ways to Make Your Hummingbird Garden Stand Out