You grab a trowel and head to the yard. This weekend, you want to plant perennials that will start bringing hummingbirds to your garden by Memorial Day. These are easy to plant and within a few weeks, you will have visiting hummingbirds. You will know just what to plant where. trowel and a plan
Bring Woodpeckers & Nuthatches To Your Yard
Check PriceYou don’t need expensive tools or great soil for this to work. These plants are perfect for beginners and small yards. All you need are some sunny spots, nectar rich blooms, and easy maintenance. I’ll guide you through each of these and point out things to keep an eye on so you won’t have to guess.
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More planting ideas for a hummingbird-heavy yard
1) Salvia ‘May Night’
For reliable timing with genuine hummingbird magnetism, it is hard to beat Salvia ‘May Night’. The deep violet-blue spikes are tubular, have loads of nectar, and are highly visible from across the yard, which is the type of plant signal a hummingbird would pick up. Once established, it blooms starting in late spring and often puts on a strong flush around Memorial Day given that you plant it in a sunny spot.
Ensure you plant in a position that will be fully exposed to the sun and use soil that drains well. Provide a gap of 12 to 18 inches between each plant to allow for airflow. The clump will reach a size of 18 to 24 inches per height/width, and will remain tidy if you deadhead the spent bloom spikes.
Salvia fosters habitat for hummingbirds and also attracts bees and butterflies. Hummingbirds are not your only visitors, you will get a variety of friendly winged insects. The soil should not be heavy clay or hinder drainage. Be mindful of your watering habits. Salvia dislikes soggy roots and will flop if planted too close to one another.
Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
Bee Balm is one of those plants that pays for itself every year. Their tube-shaped flowers have a lot of easily accessible nectar, which the hummingbirds love. If you buy healthy nursery plugs this weekend, many varieties will be out by Memorial Day.
They will do best in full sun or part shade and with good quality soil that drains well. When planting, be sure to space the plants 18 to 24 inches apart. This air flow will help to reduce the chance of powdery mildew. Although, humidity can cause these types of mildew issues, proper spacing of the plants can really help. For smaller yards, compact varieties like ‘Petite Delight’ are ideal. Compact cultivars like ‘Petite Delight’
Standard types can grow 2 to 4 feet tall and expect a similar spread as well. To help keep the plants vigorous, cut back crowded clumps in early spring. When paired with other nectar plants such as salvia or columbine, expect to see more hummingbird visits to Bee Balm.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds, the most common backyard visitor east of the Rockies, are programmed to seek out red and orange tubular flowers. But they’ll quickly learn to visit pink and violet blooms too once they’ve found a reliable yard. Color gets them there. Nectar keeps them coming back.
Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
This native vine was made for hummingbirds. The long red tubes are almost specifically made for a hummingbird’s bill and birds learn to recognize them quickly. Depending on where you live, planting this vine this weekend puts you in the good blooming time range. This vine blooms from late spring with most blooms by Memorial Day for zones 6 to 9.
Plant in full sun to part shade with good drainage. Each vine needs about 6 to 10 feet to climb so a trellis, fence, or arbor works well. Water regularly until established, then it should be fairly self-sufficient. Do not plant it against a foundation wall because it needs space to grow and airflow to remain healthy.
Be careful with fertilizing because the excess nitrogen might cause leafy growth to occur instead of flowering, which is the opposite of what you want for your plants. After flowering, lightly prune to keep the plant manageable. Although this species does rely on bees for pollination, the long tubular flowers are great for hummingbirds.
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’
The long tubular flowers that bloom from late spring to early summer are great for hummingbirds. In warmer zones, it can start to produce flowers by Memorial Day. Expect it to flower a week or two later in cooler zones.
Plant in part shade to full sun with good drainage. Ensure each plant has 18-24 inches of space to allow air to circulate so the plants don’t get too crowded. Expect the plants to grow about 2-3 feet tall and 2 feet wide at maturity.
Penstemons do not like to have constantly wet soil conditions so don’t overwater and avoid heavy clay unless you have fixed this with sand and compost. Watch for crown rot at poorly drained locations. When stems finish flowering, cut them back to encourage additional flowering. For consistent nectar flow, plant a cluster of three to make a small group instead of planting an individuals. amended it well with compost and coarse sand
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California Fuchsia (Zauschneria / Epilobium canum)
To be completely honest, don’t expect California fuchsia to be in full bloom by Memorial Day, as it flowers from late summer through fall. Healthy plants will set buds now, and if your spring has been warm, you might see some blooms. This plant is an extremely valuable late season nourishing hummingbirds.
Plant this in well draining soil that is sunny with a spacing of 18 to 24 inches for the plants. Depending on the type you choose, it will create a mound ranging from 12 to 24 inches tall and 36 inches wide. The most common issue for first-time gardeners is crown rot. For this reason, heavy watering and clay soil should be avoided.
Hummingbirds love this plant and will come back day after day to visit. To keep the plant looking nice, lightly mulch and trim spring growth.
“A yard that blooms in waves gives hummingbirds a reason to keep coming back all season, not just for one dazzling week in May.”
Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Columbine is an example of a plant community that is beautiful yet understated. The plant’s red and yellow drooping flowers possess long spurs that are specifically designed to accommodate a hummingbird’s bill. This is no coincidence, as these species have evolved around each other and have created a mutualistic relationship. The flowers bloom from the end of spring and into summer. If a clump of this plant is established, it will bloom by Memorial Day in moderate growing zones.
It is beneficial for them to have some shade as well as some morning sun. It is best to have rich, well-draining soil and some protection from the hot afternoon sun. Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart. They grow to be about 1 to 2 feet tall with a spread similar and will self seed gently if you let some of the spent flowers go which means free plants for next year.
Skip feeding your columbine plants. Too much nitrogen will create fluffy leaves and few flowers. Also, columbine plants attract bees and butterflies, so your patch will provide habitat for several pollinators while you wait for the hummingbirds to discover your columbine plants.
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More planting ideas for a hummingbird-heavy yard
Dwarf Zinnia ‘Profusion’
Most hummingbird planting guides don’t include Zinnias as recommended species, but the dwarf ‘Profusion’ variety is a great exception as dwarf Zinnias are great for filling up space in containers and in the front of narrow flower beds. Hummingbirds love the bright shallow flowers of these Zinnias that begin flowering in mid to late spring. If you transplant now, they’ll give you some great color that you can enjoy for Memorial Day in most warmer zones!
Plant in full sun, well-draining soil, and about 8 to 12 inches apart. They will grow 8 to 12 inches tall with the same spread. If you keep seedlings in deep shade or overwater, you’ll get tall plants with poor flowering. Additionally, Profusion zinnias will attract bees and butterflies, making that part of your yard more lively!
Plant dwarf zinnias in a container near your existing nectar feeder. Hummingbirds that already visit the feeder will notice the blooms immediately, and the combination of feeder plus fresh flowers can double the time they spend in that corner of your yard.
Putting It All Together: Creating a Hummingbird-Friendly Spot
Most the work is done by the plants, but little thought as to their placement can make a real difference. Put taller flowers behind shorter ones. Give plants space to spread. Keep clean water near by.
Choosing the Right Planting Spot
Most of these plants need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. They appreciate a break from intense afternoon heat on really hot days. Plant tubular flowers where you can see them from a window or porch. You want to notice the hummingbirds when they arrive!
Depending on their mature spread, space plants 12 to 24 inches apart. If planting in clay soil, mixture of compost and coarse sand prior to planting to avoid waterlogged roots. Position feeders 10 to 15 feet away from thick shrubs and not tucked into their sides. For hummingbirds, feeders should be placed in locations where their line of sight is unobstructed.
Using Mulch and Water Wisely
A mulch layer that is 1-2 inches thick is beneficial because it conserves moisture and keeps roots cool. Be sure to leave a small area free from mulch around the center of each stem so that the mulch does not cover the crown. Rather than watering every day and only giving a light sprinkling, water deeply once or twice a week. You do not want to soil to just be damp at the surface, you want it to be moist 3 to 6 inches down. shredded bark or leaf mulch
Position a shallow bird bath or mister 3 to 5 feet from your flowering plants. The birds will appreciate having a place to drink and bathe close to their food source. Clean the bird bath and nectar feeders weekly during warm weather. Mold can develop quickly in feeders and can be harmful to the birds. It only takes about two minutes to rinse and refill the feeder! shallow bird bath or mister placed 3 to 5 feet Clean it and any nectar feeders weekly in warm weather
FEED GARDEN Glass Hummingbird Feeder 16oz
Check PriceWhat to Realistically Expect by Memorial Day
Most of these perennial plants should start budding by Memorial Day, and if spring warmed early in your area then there might be a few already open. However, this depends on the timing of sun exposure and warmth of your soil. In addition, the type of plant you used also determine soil contact. For instance, if you used a potted nursery start, bald root division, or something you dug from your friend’s little garden this weekend.
Bloom Cycles and What Affects Them
Hummingbirds are attracted to nectar in a plant yard that sits in a patch with plants; rather than ‘volcano’ style where all show up at once then nothing. Plants that are in direct summer sunlight should bloom in late May. However, those in the shade and cooler soil take longer to spring and will bloom in June.
In places where there are raised planting beds more southerly sunlight warms the soil quicker resulting in early summer bloom. If you notice a late-frost weather for weeks cover the new growth. It takes a few minutes and works in staving off weeks of the delicate plants.
Getting Blooms as Early as Possible
Instead of choosing your seeds for rapidly emerging summer blooms, pick pot plants and small divisions. The goal of planting flowers is reached if nitrogen is moderate and with a balanced, gently prepared, slow-release fertilizer. Place your plant divisions within the soil vigorously, and water thoroughly.
Species that enjoy heat, like salvia and zinnia, thrive in south-facing beds and locations close to gravel paths that reflect heat. To promote further blooming, pinch off any spent flowers. The objective is to prompt the plant to produce additional flowers, not to signal the end of its cycle.
Plant this weekend, provide the roots with a deep drink, and simply observe. Hummingbirds tend to discover a new source of nectar quicker than anticipated.
